The Fate of the Savior
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: Orphaned at birth, the last thing Celeste Shade expects is for her ex-boyfriend and the father of her son to pop back into her life. But that's not even the biggest shocker as he tries to convince her that her parents are actually Wonder Woman and Batman and that they're under a curse only she can break. She doesn't want to believe it, but sometimes fate can be a bitch.
1. Prologue: Part I

**As some of you may know, I've written a few one-shots centering around the idea of Justice League with a Once Upon a Time twist. At first, I had no idea how to even start a full-length story like that, but today I figured, "Why not give this a shot?" So, I did.**

 **Now, this is based on the ABC Family show _Once Upon a Time_. For those of you who don't know, OUAT is a unique take on all of our favorite Disney fairytales and others that Disney had yet to adapt. If you haven't watched it, I suggest you do because it's pretty interesting. I myself haven't even finished season three yet, but I'm pretty sure they just ended the series after seven seasons.**

 **Even though this fic is based on OUAT, it won't follow the series entirely because this is, after all, a Justice League fanfic. So there are some twists that are completely my own.**

 **Now, without further ado, please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

 _Elated_ c _heers rang out through the air as everyone aboard the Watchtower celebrated the union of two of their best heroes. Batman and Wonder Woman - or Bruce and Diana - parted from their passionate kiss to gaze lovingly into one another's eyes. Diana seemed to be the center of the room; her wedding dress a rich porcelain chiton that flowed gracefully onto the ground with a golden band wrapped around her waist and her long raven hair tied up into a bun with two elegant pieces of hair framing her face. She had light makeup on, but it was not needed as anyone and everyone could see her natural beauty shining brightly as always._

 _This happy moment was short lived, however, when a puff of dark gray smoke suddenly filled the air. From the smoke emerged a rather vindictive-looking woman with dark violet hair and ice blue eyes. Her lips were curled into a malicious grin which sent shivers down the majority of the lower-ranking heroes' spines._

 _"Did I miss the wedding cake?" asked the woman coyly, malice glinting in her eyes._

 _The magician Zatanna was the first to act. "Enog eb!" she chanted from the crowd, only to have the spell reflected._

 _"Darling, please, we've discussed this," the woman purred, but made no move to attack. "You're a simple magician. Your parlor tricks aren't even close to my level."_

 _Diana barely flinched at the sorceress' sudden appearance, eyebrows furrowing in complete and utter rage. "_ Circe _," she hissed, taking her sword from Shayera Hol who, being her maid of honor and the closest one to her besides Bruce and J'onn J'onzz, who was officiating the two, had been holding it for her. "This is your one warning; leave now."_

 _Bruce placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, but didn't take his eyes off the witch as she slowly approached them. "Careful," he warned her, subtly nodding to the rest of the Justice League, silently telling them not to attack, but to stay on guard. "I won't let her do anything. I promise."_

 _Diana ignored him, raising her sword threateningly. "I won't let you ruin today," she spat and most the room's occupants winced at her unusually hostile tone._

 _Circe, seeing this, rolled her eyes. "Come, now, darling," she coaxed mockingly. "I'm not here to ruin your special day." Her smirk seemed to widen. "In fact, I'm here to present you and your husband with a gift."_

 _The Amazon clenched her teeth. "No doubt another one of your tricks. We want nothing to do with it!"_

 _The witch chuckled. "Too bad you don't really have a choice, then," she retorted. She gestured around them. "You and your little husband can have today, Diana. Celebrate for the rest of the day and all through the night. Enjoy it while you can. But tomorrow will bring the start of hell on this earth. Everything you cherish, everything you hold dear will be ripped from you._

 _"You're suffering will finally bring my victory," Circe finished. "By Zeus, your happiness will be torn to pieces. I will spend every moment of my existence to ensure that if I have to." With that, she turned on her heel and began to exit._ _Bruce angrily clutched a bataraang in his pocket before flinging at the woman. She, however, seemed to sense it coming and disappeared in another puff of smoke._

 _Diana clutched his arm, the couple exchanging worried looks as the Watchtower erupted into chaos._

* * *

It was a dead end.

"Son of a bitch," muttered twenty-six year old Celeste Shade as she typed furiously onto her laptop. She had to admit, this "James Kindle" was good. No credit or debit card purchases, no birth certificate. The name people knew him by must have been a fake as she couldn't find a single lead. There was no trace of him anywhere. It was as if he had never existed.

Fortunately, she knew a thing or two about disappearing.

A few more types and the woman smirked. The only thing she had to go on was a single picture, which she had just run through the data bases of store security cameras in the area. Sure enough, a matching face had popped up in a store near her little apartment. As it turned out, she knew exactly where it was. Time to take a trip downtown.

"Mom?"

Or maybe not.

Celeste's head snapped up as she came face-to-face with a somewhat peculiar pair of eyes; one matching her sapphire blue orbs and the other an emerald green. "Hey, Kid," she greeted softly, standing up to go meet her son and kneeling in front of him. "What are you doing up?"

"Bad dream," answered Ryan Shade. The eight year old shared a few of her features including her hair and nose. Everything else was solely his father. At the thought of the man, she immediately banished him from her head. He was her past and therefore should stay in the past. Ryan was her future.

The woman pursed her lips. She wasn't the best at dealing with nightmares since so many of her own had failed to go away even today. Nevertheless, she would try for her son. For him, she would move mountains. "What was it about?" she offered.

Ryan took this as an invitation to settle into her lap and she welcomed it, running her fingers through his hair. Work could wait. "There's a man and a woman," he explained. "The woman's wearing a white dress, so I think they're getting married." He looked up at her, examining her face. "She kind of looks like you, Mom."

Celeste went rigid at that, trying to make a connection in her head. "Does she?" she inquired, attempting to keep her face neutral. Why on Earth would he be dreaming about a woman who looks like herself getting married? Was this his subconscious' way of saying he wanted to know about his father?

That was one talk she wasn't ready to have.

Her son took no notice of her internal conflict, nodding his head. "Uh-huh. There's lots of people in the room too. Everyone seems happy until a witch shows up."

She raised an eyebrow. "A witch?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied. "But she doesn't have green skin or wear all black or fly on a broomstick like in _The Wizard of Oz_. Her skin's reg... regu-" He looked up at her for help.

"Regular?" supplied Celeste.

He beamed at her. "Regular," he reiterated. "That's it. And her hair's purple and she's wearing a dress. She comes in and the woman pulls out a _sword_."

She blinks at him. "A sword," she repeats incredulously. She supposed it made sense. Ryan's called her his hero on more than one occasion, even drawing her as a knight in school. That mixed in with the secret desire to meet his father, it shouldn't be too abnormal for him to dream about her pulling out a sword to fight a witch on her so-called wedding day. "What does the witch say?"

"Can't remember everything," answered Ryan with a shrug, burying his face into her chest. "I think she said something about ruining everyone's lives."

Celeste unwittingly began to rock them both back and forth. "So, what about it was scary?"

"I... I just feel bad for the couple," he admitted to her. "They just looked so happy to be together and this witch comes and ruins it. Isn't that sad?"

Well, when he put it like that, it was indeed. Celeste knew a thing or two about losing happiness. "I guess so, kiddo. Listen-" She pulled him off of her lap. "It's late. Why don't you try heading back to bed, okay?"

Ryan yawned and looked like he was going to agree (her little angel never fussed about bedtime), when he caught sight of her laptop and gasped. "Mom!"

She looked down at him with wide eyes, somewhat alarmed. "What? What is it?"

He grinned up at her. "It's almost twelve o'clock!"

Celeste wasn't seeing the point. "And?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "It's your birthday!" he exclaimed, tugging her up and towards the kitchen. He pulled a box out of the fridge and a package of sorts from behind the toaster. "Make a wish!"

She looked at him suspiciously, wondering what he had planned. In all honesty, she had forgotten about her birthday, being so wrapped up in him and her job. She shrugged before opening the box. Immediately, her heart began to throb. "Oh, Ryan..." Inside the box was a single cupcake and the package contained a few candles. "How did you get this?"

"I used my allowance and bought everything after school yesterday," he told her, blushing a bit. "That's why I was late. I know it's not a lot, but..."

Celeste fought the tears threatening to fall and hugged her son close to her. "It's more than enough," she uttered into his hair. How had she been blessed with such a perfect son? He did well in school, never got into trouble, and was such a sweet boy. The pain and grief of him coming into the world had definitely been worth it. "It's absolutely perfect. I love you, kiddo."

Ryan immediately hugged her back. "I love you too, Mom." He pulled away, looking at her expectantly. "Are you gonna make a wish?"

She laughed. "Anything for you, kid." She took the cupcake out of the box and grabbed a lighter from a nearby drawer before sticking candle into the small treat. She lit the candle and stared at it.

Of course, Celeste knew she didn't have to make a wish. She could merely close her eyes and blow out her candle and her son would believe her. But she promised she would. How could she stand to deceive her child like that? So, she shut her eyes tight and thought real hard about her one wish. Her thoughts traveled back to the dream her son had and what it could have meant. What he could have wanted. What _she_ wanted him to have.

It was silly and desperate, but she did it anyway.

 _I wish that Ryan could meet his father,_ thought Celeste as she blew out her candle. She opened her eyes and smiled at her beaming son. Seeing that elated look on his face was more than enough to satisfy her.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Ryan looked at her, confused. "There's someone here," he told her.

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "You're right." Who on Earth would be here this late? She looked at Ryan sternly. "Stay here, kid. I'll go see who it is." She made her way to the front door, opening it only to come face-to-face with a man she never thought she'd see again. "Rex?"

The man smiled at her, emerald green eyed filled with tenderness. "Hey, Princess."

* * *

 _Diana stared out of the window of Wayne Manor, eyes trained onto the sunset. Her hands her resting on her stomach, which was now sporting a prominent baby bump. The baby was due any day now. Not for the first time, fear crept up her throat at the thought of Circe's threat. What if it came to fruition? After so many months of trail and error, after so much strife and agony, everything had been coming together. She and Bruce were finally together and they had a baby on the way._

 _Now, one of her worst enemies was threatening to take it all away._

 _"What are you thinking about?"_

 _Diana turned at the sound of the deep masculine voice. "Nothing," she lied, knowing he would see right through her._

 _Bruce sighed as he stood next to her, arm draped around her shoulders. "You're thinking about Circe's threat," he stated knowingly._

 _Her lips twitched at his usual perceptiveness. "Is that wrong?"_

 _"Of course not." His hands came to lay upon her own. "But the stress isn't good for the baby. You should rest."_

 _"I haven't rested since our wedding," admitted Diana, striding into the nursery. She allowed a hand to graze over the glass mobile that hung over the crib their baby would sleep in._

 _"Exactly my point, Princess," chimed Bruce, following her. "There's a chance she could be bluffing, you know. She could just be trying to get into your head."_

 _She_ _looked at him incredulously. "She poisoned me because she thought I was prettier than her. If Circe says she's going to do something, she's going to do it. And don't act like I'm the only one. Ever since then, you've ordered every magic-user on the League to try to stop whatever she's planning." She could hardly believe he was tying to put her mind at ease. Honestly, he was the most paranoid person she'd ever met._

 _Bruce_ _shrugged. "Guilty." He sighed again, taking her hand in hers. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"_

 _Of course there was, but Diana knew he wouldn't like it. "Let me talk to_ him, _" she requested. Usually, she didn't need to ask his permission to do anything, but it wasn't just about her anymore. They had a child now. She just happened to be the one carrying it in her body._

 _"No," answered Bruce immediately._

 _"He sees the future!" protested Diana._

 _"It's too dangerous, Diana," her husband insisted. He only used her real name when he was serious. "There's a reason he's trapped in Tartarus."_

 _"Then can you promise me our baby will be safe?" she shot back. "Because_ he _can." That silenced him for a moment. This time, it was her turn to sigh. "Look, I don't like it either. He's a manipulative, selfish, bastard and the world would probably be better without him, but what choice do we have?"_

 _Bruce seemed to think about this for a second before nodding. "Fine," he agreed. "For our child."_

 _It'll be the once and only chance that monster would be allowed within ten feet of his grandchild._

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Celeste's fists clenched and unclenched at her sides as she stared at the man in front of her. He hadn't changed at all, even after eight years. Her emotions were so sporadic at that moment that she was caught between hugging him, kissing him, or throwing him into the wall. She stared at him, nostrils flared and eyes narrowed dangerously.

Rex Stewart chuckled. "Well, that's quite the hello," he commented. "Though, I do believe it's proper manners to invite your guests in. Especially old friends."

She scoffed at him. "'Old friends' is not the term I would use to describe our relationship," she shot back. "What do you want, Rex?"

He held up a bottle. "Well, that would require a glass or two."

Celeste's lips formed a firm, straight line. "I don't drink," she told him.

Rex snorted. "And I'm supposed to believe that? The girl I knew could chug a bottle or two and not even get dizzy. Remember that time you outdrank that gang of bikers? I thought the leader was going to piss himself."

She closed her eyes, trying to get a handle on her emotions. Of course she remembered. She remembered all the fun they used to have back then. She also remembered how much more naïve than she had been back then. His presence was opening old wounds, old wounds she had buried a long time ago. He needed to leave and he needed to leave now. Especially before a certain curious someone decided to pop up beside her.

"Mom? What's going on?"

Shit. Too late.

"Mom?" repeated Rex, glancing behind her to get a look at her son. "You have a kid?"

Celeste took a deep breath before turning around and getting to Ryan's level. "Ryan, sweetheart, I need you to wait in the kitchen for me, okay?" She didn't dare look back at the man behind her, knowing he was putting the pieces together in his head.

"Um... okay?" her son accepted, retreating into the house. After all, she only called him by his name when she was serious.

"Hey, kid, how old are you?" asked Rex, despite her attempts to get her son away from him.

"Don't answer him," Celeste instructed, still not looking back.

He caught her by the arm. "How old is he?" he repeated in her ear, causing shivers to crawl down her back.

Ryan turned around. "I'm eight," he said confidently. "Why do you wanna know so bad?"

Rex's hand tightened slightly around her arm, though not enough to hurt her. "Princess." She ignored him. " _Celeste_."

She sighed, gathering the courage to face him. "What?"

To her surprise, his eyes shone with unshed tears. "Is he mine?" he demanded quietly, as to not alert the boy.

Once again, Celeste took another deep breath. "Ryan, go to your room," she ordered. Her voice softened as she added, "Please." Her son looked like the last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone with Rex, but he obeyed her wishes and retreated into his room.

"Is he mine?" repeated Rex.

She leaned forward until they were mere centimeters away. "Gee, Rex, I don't fucking know," she snapped sarcastically. "What did you think would happen when we had unprotected sex? What did you think would happen when you framed me? What the actual _fuck_ did you think would happen when you left me in jail without so much as a simple fucking note?"

Usually, she was careful to watch her language around Ryan, but Ryan was in his room and Rex was here. _Rex was here_. All bets were off.

He shook his head, glaring at her. "No. No, you don't get to act like you're the fucking victim here! You hid my child from me!"

Celeste could have slapped him right then and there, but held her ground. "Don't fucking turn this around on me! You left me, framed me, and then disappeared! I didn't hide anything from you and you know it! You were gone!"

Rex scoffed at her which only served to infuriate her more. "As if a _bail bondsperson_ couldn't have found me."

* * *

 _"Be careful with him, Diana," warned a tall, regal woman with long brown hair and grey eyes as she led Diana and Bruce through the newly reconstructed Tartarus. Now only Gods would be able to enter and find their way though it. It also limited the power of anyone trapped there. "He's going to try to manipulate you, don't let him. And whatever you do, don't eat or drink anything down here. Understand?"_

 _Diana nodded. "Yes, Lady Athena."_

 _They finally came upon a barred-off part of the Underworld. "Uncle, you have visitors," announced Athena._

 _A man came into view, his smirking face making Diana's hand twitch as bad memories invaded her mind. "Ah, a visit from my niece and daughter on the same day? How pleasant."_

 _Athena rolled her eyes. "I'll leave you to him," she muttered in disdain before retreating a few feet away._

 _"Come closer, my dear daughter," coaxed Hades. "And take off those ridiculous cloaks, the both of you. Honestly, as if I wouldn't recognize my own blood. And wherever you go, Diana, you're husband follows."_

 _Diana stayed where she was, but they both discarded their cloaks, knowing that it wouldn't do any good to keep them on. "I'd rather stay here. Now, we've come to ask you-"_

 _Hades waved a dismissive hand at her. "Yes, yes, I know," he interrupted. "You want to know if Circe plans to make good on her threat and where your precious child fits into it." His smirk widened. "Whether or not my grandchild will be safe."_

 _The Amazon wanted to snap that he wasn't nor would he ever be her father or, by extension, her child's grandfather, but bit her tongue. They needed his help and that wasn't the way to get it. "Tell us what you know," she commanded, before adding a somewhat desperate, "Please."_

 _She saw the satisfaction creep onto Hades' face. "I never took you for one to beg, daughter. I suppose motherhood will change anyone." He chuckled deeply. "Fear not, for I can ease your minds." Mischief sparkled in his eyes. "But it comes with a price."_

 _"No," objected Bruce firmly, pulling gently on Diana's arm. "Princess, you know what his deals are like. Remember Orpheus?"_

 _Hades cleared his throat. "My deal with Orpheus was very specific. He didn't follow my instructions." He leaned as close to her as he could with the bars separating them. "You're not like Orpheus, Diana. You're my blood. You're smart."_

 _Diana stood still, feet planted. "What do you want?" she grounded out._

 _"The name of your unborn child."_

 _She had to admit, he was brilliant. Gods only had power over the mortal world when they knew the name of their target. If she revealed her child's name, she was practically exposing them. Not only to Hades, but to any other God he chose to tell. But what choice did she have? Not only did she have a family to protect, she was a Founding member of the Justice League; she was accountable for the safety of the entire world._

 _"Absolutely not-"_

 _"Deal," Diana cut in without thinking. She felt guilty for overriding Bruce, but this was their only way. "What do you know?"_

 _The look on Hades' face said it all; he knew he had won. "Circe has created a powerful curse," he revealed, seeming amused at her horrified expression. "And it's coming. Soon you'll all be imprisoned." He pursed his lips. "A bit like me, only worse. Much worse. This prison will be time. Time will stop and we will be trapped. We will be imprisoned in a horrible place where everything we love, everything we hold dear will be taken."_

 _"We?" parroted the woman. "This curse will affect you and the other Gods?"_

 _"Of course, my child." He knew she despised it when he referred to her as such. "This curse will be aimed at the Justice League, their enemies, and their powerful allies, which includes myself and the Gods of Olympus. It's not so much Circe's magic as it is the curse itself. Every one of us will suffer for all of eternity, while Circe celebrates her victory."_

 _"There has to be a way to stop it," reasoned Diana. "All curses can be broken. There must be some way we can break it."_

 _"Right you are, my child," Hades praised. "All curses_ can _be broken. But not by us." He slowly reached out and touched her bump. "The child currently residing in your stomach."_

 _Bruce shoved his hand away. "Try something like that again," he snarled. "I dare you."_

 _Hades tutted disapprovingly before turning back to her. "Protect them," he advised. "I don't care how you do it, I don't care if it's the hardest thing you've ever had to do, just make sure their safe. They're our only hope. Make sure they're safe and on their..." He seemed to have to think for a moment before continuing, "twenty-sixth birthday, they will return. The child will find you." That god-awful smirk returned to his face. "And then, the final battle will begin."_

 _"Enough," cut in Bruce, tugging her away. "We're leaving."_

 _"Ah, ah, ah, daughter dearest," scolded Hades. "We made a deal, remember? I want her name. I need her name."_

 _"There is no 'her,'" lied Bruce. "It's a boy."_

 _"Diana," called Hades. "You know I'm right. A deal is a deal, isn't it? What Amazon doesn't honor her word? Tell me, what's the child's name?"_

 _He was playing at her conscious and Diana knew it. Unfortunately for her, he was right. An Amazon always honored her word. She sighed, turning to face him once more. "Celeste," she answered. "The baby's name is Celeste." And with that, the couple left._

 _Hades grinned to himself. "Celeste," he repeated. "Excellent."_

* * *

Celeste's eyes were wide as she stared at him, stumbling away from him a few inches. "Have you been stalking me?" she accused. It was the only logical explanation. How else would he know what she did for a living? How else would he know where she lived?

Rex rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Princess."

She grabbed the house phone off its charger. " _Leave_ ," she hissed. "Leave or I swear to god, I will call the cops." Though, as she threatened him, things weren't adding up in her head. If he was in fact stalking her, then how did he not know about Ryan? Of course, he could be faking it, but she knew when people were lying. She called it a "superpower" of sorts. And he wasn't lying.

He called her on it too. "Use your superpower, then. Tell me I'm lying to you."

Celeste glared at him. "Yeah, well, if there's one person who'd be able to deceive me, it'd be you."

Rex sighed, hand coming to rest on his temple. "Celeste, put down the phone."

"Or what?"

His eyes met hers. "Don't make me do something I'll regret."

She couldn't help but rise to the challenge. "Is that a threat, Rex Stewart?"

"Celeste..."

The woman pursed her lips, but put down the phone, still making sure it was within her reach if she did need to alert the authorities. "Rex, why are you here?"

Rex approached her, not stopping until they were, once again, centimeters away. "I'm here to bring you to your parents."

OoOoOo

 **This** **is the longest chapter I've ever written in my life. I actually sat here for five hours and wrote 4,000 words. It's official; I have no life. *sigh* Anyway, I'm sorry if anyone's OOC. For those of you who have watched this show, I suppose I should set up the casting so no one's confused. Well, here it is.**

 **Celeste Shade: Emma Swan  
Ryan Shade: Henry Mills(-Swan?)  
Rex Stewart/Warhawk: Neal Cassidy/Baelfire (kind of, I guess)  
Diana Prince/Wonder Woman: Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard  
Bruce Wayne/Batman: Prince Charming/David Nolan  
Circe/Cecile Mageía: The Evil Queen/Regina Mills  
Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold: Hades/Mr. ****Exousía**

 **Everything else, I'm still kind of figuring out. As you can see, there are very noticeable stark differences between this fic and the show. For one, Celeste is twenty-six, while Emma was twenty-eight. For another, Celeste kept Ryan whereas Emma gave up Henry. Another is that Rex came for Celeste, while Neal kind of left Emma to dry (this was why you died, Neal). The list goes on and on.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!**


	2. Prologue: Part II

**Hi everyone! Welcome to chapter two! Some things will seem fast paced and there's a good reason for that. I'm lazy :P Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

OoOoOo

"My parents?" echoed Celeste. She felt her heart clench painfully, but attempted to keep the walls around it strong as she crossed her arms. "My parents left me for dead on the side of the road. You know that." It had been one of the secrets she had entrusted him with, along with others. She hadn't told him everything - thank goodness for that - but she had told him enough. "They didn't want me."

Rex's expression didn't change. "You really think a couple who left you a necklace with _your name_ on it didn't want you?" he challenged. "The blanket too. You were found in a blanket with your name on it. You even said so yourself, a couple that had such a beautiful blanket made just for you had to have wanted you."

Immediately, Celeste's hand flew to the silver, star-shaped charm that was held around her neck by a matching chain. In the center of it was her name engraved in beautiful cursive. "They didn't want me," she reiterated firmly. It was so much easier to believe it, too. It was the only logical explanation. No one wanted her. No one except her son, of course. And who knew? There might come a day where even he would grow tired of her.

His face softened as he took her chin in his hand. "I know that's what everyone's told you," he said gently. "I know that's what you've convinced yourself, but it's not true. They wanted you more than anything."

She ripped herself away from them before she got sucked back into his charms. She was not seventeen anymore. She wasn't stupid. "How would you know?" she bit out harshly. "How do you know so much about them? Have you ever met them?"

Rex went silent for a moment. "A long time ago," he told her quietly. "The last time I ever saw them, I was two. I think."

Celeste's eyes went wide as she stared at him in disbelief. "But you're only two years older than me," she recalled. "You... you knew me when I was _born_?"

A sense of confusion washed over her. Rex knew her parents. Rex had known _her_ long before they were ever a thing. Had he known exactly who she was all along? Had he knowingly kept her family a secret from her? If that was the case, she had half a mind to land a right punch to his jaw. He'd put her through hell. And for what? What possible reason did he have for doing this to her?

He must have seen the look on her face because he gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Princess, I don't technically _know_ your parents, I swear," he promised her. "I'm an orphan like you, remember? I don't know about mine either." He was silent for a moment before adding hastily, "Or I _didn't_ , until..."

Celeste saw his hesitation. "Until, what?" she urged.

Rex sighed. "I guess I should tell you why I left you. It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear it right now?"

She glanced at the clock and shook her head. It was already after one o'clock. "There's no way I'll be able to sleep after this. Lay it on me."

* * *

 _"I say we attack Cice head-on!" declared Hawkgirl as she and the other founders debated on how to deal with Circe's threat._

 _Wonder Woman placed a finger on her temple. "You know I would be the first to agree with you, Shayera," she sympathized. "Especially when it comes to Circe, but we've no idea what she has in store for us. She's sneaky. And I don't want to think about what she'll do when backed into a corner." She knew her friend was worried about the safety of her own son, but acting rashly wasn't the way to keep Rex - or Celeste for that matter - safe._

 _"So we take her out before she has the chance!" the redhead argued. "We don't even know when the curse is coming! Everyday we waste is a day all of our lives could be ruined in an instant!"_

 _"But if we provoke her, she might do something worse," reasoned Green Lantern._

 _"And who's to say we can even trust Hades?" pointed out Flash, his demeanor a lot more serious than his usual one. He grimaced, turning to the woman diagonally across from him. "No offense, Wondy."_

 _She smiled kindly. "None taken, Wally."_

 _"Zatanna, Dr. Fate, and others have attempted to find out more about Crice's plans," announced Batman. To most people, he'd sound completely emotionless. But these were some of his closest friends. They could tell he was as worried as the rest of them. "Through the grapevine, they've heard that her plans are all coming together. This is happening. Unless we find someway to-"_

 _"There's no point," Diana interrupted. "The future is set in stone." Hades - having stolen the gift of sight from Apollo - always made accurate predictions, even better than the God of Music himself. There was no changing it._

 _Everyone looked taken back by her pessimistic tone, but Batman shook his head. "No, I don't believe that," he stated firmly. "And I know you don't either, Princess. The seven of us have taken down every threat to this Earth since we formed."_

 _Hawkgirl, Flash, and Green Lantern seemed a bit puzzled at the couple's switch of personalities, but_ _Superman nodded in agreement. "Batman's right. There has to be a way-"_

 _"But there isn't," she bit back, looking away from everyone else._

 _Batman took her hand over the tabletop. "Princess, if you believe Hades about the curse, you must believe him about Celeste. She'll save everyone."_

 _Martian Manhunter was quiet before speaking, "You're worried about her."_

 _Wonder Woman shrugged. "Of course I am. When we first found out I was pregnant, we agreed that we'd give her a normal childhood and that she could get into this when she was an adult if she wanted to. But now she doesn't have a choice." A deafening silence filled the air before there was a puff of smoke. This one was unlike Circe's taking on a dark purple color instead of black one._

 _"Zatanna," greeted Batman. "Have you heard anything?"_

 _"About Circe's curse?" assumed Zatanna. "No. However, I know how we can protect the baby." She glanced at the Thanagarian. "Shayera, your mace is resistant to magic, right?"_

 _Hawkgirl nodded. "All nth metal is," she informed them. "But there's only so much we can get here on Earth."_

 _Batman caught on to what Zatanna was saying. "If we can make some sort of vessel from the nth metal we_ can _get, could Diana and the baby be protected from the curse?"_

 _The magician nodded. "Fate and I think so."_

 _"If that's the case, any vessel you make should only fit about one full adult and maybe someone smaller," predicted Hawkgirl._

 _"I suggest placing Rex in as well, then," Wonder Woman spoke up, sending her friend a reassuring smile. "I'll look after him, Shay. I promise."_

 _The redhead smiled. There was obvious pain in her eyes at the thought of parting with her son, but everyone knew it was for the best. The curse was going to take away everyone's happiness. Who knew what it would do to the children? "I know you will, Diana." Both women took their husbands' hands. There seemed to be hope for their children after all._

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Princess, it's true!" Rex swore to her, taking her hand.

Celeste scowled. "You want me to believe that you _left_ _me_ because someone claiming to be my brother told you to?" she snapped. "And that my parents are actually _Batman_ and _Wonder Woman_ , who are cursed in a place called 'Destiny City?'" She shook her head, pulling away harshly. "Rex, you've said a lot of crazy shit to me before, but this one has to be the craziest. How are you not in a mental hospital yet?"

He scratched the back of his neck, seemingly trying to decide how the best way to approach this would be. "I didn't believe it either at first," he confessed. "But Celeste, he knew things about us, both of us. Like how we were both found on the same side of the road and stayed in the same foster home for about a month. _I_ didn't even know that."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "You never told me you were found on the side of the road."

Rex shrugged. "I didn't know. No one ever told me. Princess, he knew about your locket too. And that boy who apparently 'found us?' That was your brother."

"And how do you know he isn't some nut-job?" demanded Celeste. "For all you know, he could be lying."

He sighed. "When you were released from prison, you had an account set up for you full of money, right? And you got a note from someone with the initials 'T.D.'"

She faltered. "Well, yeah..."

"Those initials stand for Tim Drake," Rex told her. "That's who he told me he was."

"The third Robin..." realized Celeste. Growing up, she had been a bit of a comic book nerd. She had been particularly fond of _DC_ , especially the Justice League. She had even watched the cartoons whenever she could. So she did know about Batman and Wonder Woman. But that didn't make her their daughter. She shook her head. "Like I said, nut-job."

He groaned. "I forgot how stubborn you were."

For some reason, that comment rubbed her the wrong way. "And I forgot how much of an asshole you were," she shot back.

Rex smirked. "Still as feisty as ever I see."

"Don't change the subject," snapped Celeste. "You left me because some guy on the street told you to. I went to jail _and_ had to raise a kid on my own. You know, I almost gave him up for adoption."

His smirk fell. "You did?"

She nodded. "At first, I couldn't even look at him. I figured that if I didn't look at him, I couldn't get attached." She smiled fondly. "But then, I caught sight of him as they were taking him away. I asked to hold them and as soon as I did, I fell in love. I couldn't give him up."

"I'm sorry, Princess," said Rex softly. "I really am. If I knew you were pregnant, I would have told Drake to shove it. I would have never let you raise our son on your own."

Celeste gave a dry little chuckle. "Guess that was the one thing he 'conveniently' forgot to mention," she muttered sarcastically. "Look, I don't care anymore. I don't care that you left me or that I had to spend eleven months in jail. All I care about is my son."

" _Our_ son," he corrected her. "Celeste, I want to be in his life."

"I want you to be in his life too," she confessed. Her son deserved a father. "But Rex, how can I trust you to be there for him? And I don't mean taking him to a baseball game every once and a while. I mean, going to school events, being here when he's sick. Every thing that comes with being a parent."

"And I'll do all those things," vowed Rex. "Just give me a chance. Princess, come with me to Destiny City. Give me a year for me to convince you that this curse is real. Give me a year to be with my son."

Celeste weighed her options. She had often dreamt about a perfect little family with the three of them. She knew Ryan got teased because she was a bail bondswoman and kids used the fact that he didn't know his father to torment him. Even if Rex really had gone off the deep end and was making all this up, a fresh start might be nice for them. On the other hand, how stable was a father who was convinced comic book characters were real?

Still, now that Rex had found out about Ryan, she knew there was no way to keep them apart even if she wanted to.

"I'll see what he says about it tomorrow," she decided, biting her lip. "But can we not tell him yet? I want him to get to know you before we do."

He thought about this before nodding his acceptance. "That's fair." He looked at her hopefully. "So if the kid wants to, you'll go?"

Celeste shrugged. "Not like there's much for us here, anyway. Why not?"

* * *

 _Bruce and his ward - Tim Drake, the third Robin - worked tirelessly on the vessel. Everyone had decided that a metal wardrobe would be the best option. The nth metal found on Earth should be enough to construct one that would hold Diana, the unborn baby, and Rex. It was only a matter of time until the curse would be cast. They only hoped that the wardrobe would protect them._

 _One late after noon, Diana turned to face her husband. "I don't want to do this," she confessed._

 _"Princess, it had to be you," said Bruce softly, taking her hand._

 _"I can't leave you," she insisted. "Who knows what Circe has planned for you - all of you? I can't leave you at her mercy._ _"_

 _He took her hand, tugging her closer to him so that they were just millimeters away. Their noses touched and she leaned her forehead against his. "It's the only way," he reminded her gently. "Go in there and you'll be shielded from the curse."_

 _Diana's strong but gentle hands came to rest on his shoulders. "Hades said it would be on her twenty-sixth birthday," she recalled._

 _"We can handle that," Bruce stated. "It'll be a long time coming, but we will see each other again." He gave her a bittersweet smile. "And when that day comes, we'll have a beautiful daughter with us."_

 _She could tell he was saddened at the fact that he wouldn't get to see her grow up and Diana felt guilty at the fact that_ she _would. It wasn't fair. Nothing about this was fair. "When did you turn into the optimistic one?"_

 _"Well, you and Alfred are always telling me to have faith," he retorted, pressing a sweet, chaste kiss to her lips. "We save each other, Princess. We always have. It won't be any different this time." He wiped a stray tear from her cheek._

 _This time, it was Diana who brought him in for a kiss. This one was more passionate than the last as she poured her very heart and soul into it. She smiled slightly when she felt him do the same._ _He was right. If they wanted to see each other again, she had to have hope. She suddenly pulled away, a sharp pain piercing into her abdomen._

 _Bruce looked more than a little concerned. "What is it?" he asked._

 _"The baby," whispered Diana, looking at him with wide, scared eyes. "She's_ coming. _"_

 _Later that evening, the founding members of the Justice League and the highest ranking and most trusted by them stood at Wayne Manor, ready for battle. Along with them were Nightwing, Red Hood, and Batgirl. Dark smoke was sweeping over the area, as were creatures nobody could begin to imagine. They looked like animals you might find in the woods, but deformed, mutated._

 _"The curse," spoke Green Lantern into his com piece, eyes narrowed. "It's here."_

* * *

Celeste had gotten up extra early the next morning, getting breakfast ready for her and her son. She still had no idea how she was going to tell him that they might be moving. Again. It's not like they had roots in Trenton, New Jersey. They had moved around from place-to-place due to her job, so it wasn't like they had too much moving to do. Everything they did own could easily fit in her truck.

"Mom?"

She smiled and turned around. "Morning, kid," she greeted. She was surprised he managed to wake up at his usual time. She, herself, had been unable to sleep. "Have a seat, breakfast is almost done."

"You're cooking," observed Ryan. "You don't cook. Usually, we just stop at the bakery or something before school."

Celeste chuckled; he was as smart as ever. "Well, today is special," she told him cryptically, ever one for theatrics. "And you're not going to school today."

He titled his head to the side. "Why not?" he asked.

She placed his plate in front of him, kissing the top of his hair. "I wanted to ask you something."

The boy looked concerned. "Is there something wrong?" he questioned.

Celeste shook her head. "It's not anything bad." She picked up a post card off the table and handed it to him. "This was in our mailbox," she lied. In reality, Rex had given it to her, but he didn't need to know that.

"Destiny City?" read Ryan. "I've never heard of a place like that in Jersey."

She shrugged. "Sounds like an adventure, doesn't it?"

His eyes lit up at the word. "Are we moving there?" he asked excitedly.

Celeste laughed, relieved that he seemed to want to go there. "That's what I wanted to ask you. Would that be okay?"

Ryan nodded. "Sounds fun!" he exclaimed. "When do we leave?"

There was a knock at the door and she grinned, walking towards it. "Now." She opened the door to reveal Rex. She beckoned him inside and the two returned to the kitchen.

"You're the man from last night!" the boy realized.

Rex smiled down at him. "Yeah, I am." He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ryan."

Ryan, ever the polite young man she raised him to be, shook it. "Nice to meet you too."

Celeste beamed at the sight, but straightened her face before either one of them could realize it. "Ryan, this is Rex Stewart," she informed her son. "He's, uh, going to be helping us with the move."

"You're a mover, Mr. Stewart?" asked Ryan.

The man glanced at her before looking back at him. "Something like that."

Celeste shuffled awkwardly. "Kid, I packed all your stuff already, so why don't you go get your suitcase?" she suggested.

The eight year old nodded. "Okay," he complied.

Rex watched him go. "He's a good kid," he stated.

The corner's of her mouth twitched. "He's a _great_ kid," she agreed.

"You're doing a great job with him."

Celeste shrugged. "I try." She noticed how close they were and backed away slightly, clearing her throat. "I, uh, have our other things packed, mind giving me a hand?"

"Of course."

God, could things be any more awkward between them?

* * *

 _A shriek of pure agony tore itself from Diana's lips as she was giving birth. There hadn't been time to get her to the Watchtower or hospital, so she had been forced to have the baby right in their room._

 _As a warrior, she had felt pain before. It was only natural. She had been stabbed, thrown against buildings, beaten into the ground, and on the receiving end of Shayera's mace. Nothing she had felt or would ever feel could compare to the pain of having a baby without any epidurals or the proper equipment. She had no idea that childbirth would hurt so horribly._

 _"I can't have this baby_ now _!" Diana cried out. This had to be the worst possible timing. Circe was on her way, curse in tow. Oh, why couldn't Celeste wait another day or two?_

 _"Alfred," muttered Bruce helplessly, looking at the butler - who was delivering the baby - for assistance before holding his wife close to him. "It's going to be okay. Everything will be okay." Alfred gave him a nod. "Tim's finishing the wardrobe as we speak."_

 _Diana gave another shriek as said boy came into the room. "It's ready!" announced Tim._

 _Bruce began to lift her into his arms before Alfred stopped him. "It's too late, Master Bruce," he said gravely. "We can't move Miss Diana now."_

 _The man looked completely torn as he buried his face in her hair. "Push, Diana," he urged softly. "I know you can do it."_

 _She gave another shriek and the cry of a newborn baby could be heard. A few minutes later, Celeste Martha Wayne laid in her mother's arms, wrapped in a white-knit blanket with her name sewed into it. Diana smiled down at the baby. "Hi, Celeste."_

 _Bruce kissed Diana's forehead, but her smile fell. "The wardrobe won't be able to fit all three of us," she realized, looking up at him. A crash was heard and the new parents knew they were running out of time._

 _His lips formed a thin line. "You don't know that," he argued. "We could make it work. We-"_

 _She held up a hand._ _"I saw it when you were building it, Bruce. It could have barely fit Rex and I. It won't fit the three of us."_

 _For once, Bruce was out of options. "Then what do we do?"_

 _Diana looked at her baby, then back at Bruce. "You have to take her," she stated firmly. "You have to take her to the wardrobe."_

 _He looked affronted. "What? Are you out of your mind?"_

 _She began to sob, the thought of being forced apart from her child almost too much to bear. But it had to be done. Sometimes, Diana wished she hadn't been blessed with a noble heart by the Gods. If she hadn't, nothing could have made her give up her child. "I-It's the only way. We have to keep the faith that she'll find us."_

 _Bruce looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do, but sighed. "You're right," he agreed, a single tear rolling down his check at the notion of sending her his daughter to fend for herself._

 _Diana nodded. "We have to give her, her best chance." She kissed the baby's forehead. "Goodbye, Celeste." She looked at her husband. "Go, Bruce. I love you."_

 _"I love you too." He took the baby in his arms and made his way towards the nursery, making sure to keep his daughter safe. When he got there, he gave the baby a kiss on the forehead as well. "We'll be together again," he promised. "All three of us. Find us, Celeste. Please, find us." He placed her into the wardrobe and closed the door, locking it._

 _When Bruce turned around, he came face-to-face with the witch and a few soldiers from her army. "This is the end of your happiness, Batman," she told him, smirking triumphantly. "Guess you're really regretting getting involved with the Princess, aren't you?"_

 _He scowled. "Not on your life."_

 _Circe's face contorted into a glare. "Take him," she ordered her guards. The men went to grab him and he let them. As he was being dragged away, Bruce nodded to Tim who had been hiding behind the wardrobe with a two year old Rex in his arms. They had made a back-up place just in case something like this happened. A plan not even Diana knew about._

 _Thankfully, they hadn't seen him place the baby into the wardrobe or everything would be ruined._

 _Once everyone was gone, Tim came out of hiding and opened the wardrobe, slipping himself and Rex into it. He sat the boy down and held Celeste, rocking her gently so she wouldn't start crying and give them away. "I'm going to keep you safe," he swore. The baby gurgled at him. "Shh, Timmy's here."_

* * *

They had been in the car for over two hours and the tension could have been cut with a knife. "Are you sure this place even exists?" she asked quietly as to not wake Ryan, who was sleeping peacefully in the backseat.

Rex crossed his arms. "Yes, I'm sure," he insisted. "We'll be able to find it because we've both been with the cursed people." He paused. "At least, that's what Tim told me."

Celeste whipped her head around. "You mean you _don't know_?" she hissed. This was why. This was why she had trust issues. "Why the hell didn't you check it out before telling me?" She really could not stand Rex Stewart. He was hot-headed, arrogant, and never though things through. Why couldn't she have had a baby with an intelligent billionaire?

"Hey, eyes on the road!" he warned her. "And I didn't have time. He only came to me yesterday. I forgot that today was the day."

"You forgot when I would turn twenty-six?" she deadpanned, trying to mask the hurt she felt at that.

"No, I forgot that it was twenty-six. For some reason, I had it as twenty-eight in my head."

Celeste rolled her eyes; that sounded like him. "Whatever." She caught sight of a sign out of the corner of her eye. It read, _Welcome to Destiny City_. "Hey, I think we're here."

Rex sat up, stretching. "Good. Do you want me to wake him up, or should I?"

"I'll do it," she told him, reaching behind them and nudging her son's shoulder. "Hey, kid. Wake up. We're here."

Ryan opened his eyes. "We are?"

Celeste smiled. "Yup. Welcome to Destiny City, kid." She surveyed the town before finding a little building that read, _Alfred's Diner_. "Why don't we stop there for lunch, yeah?"

"Okay!" She parked the truck and the three of them got out of it, entering the little diner. They chose a secluded booth and sat down.

Their waiter was a rather attractive young man with cerulean eyes and short black hair. "Hi, there," he greeted, a friendly smile on his face. "I haven't seen you folks before. You live around here?"

Celeste matched his smile with her own charming one. "Oh, no," she told him. "But we are moving here. Well, my son and I."

The man looked a little confused, looking between her and Rex. "So, you two aren't together?"

"N-"

"Yes," Rex interrupted, shooting the man a smile of his own. "Yes, we are."

She was going to throttle him. Why would he say that? _In front of Ryan_? "Yeah, we decided to move here for a fresh start," she played along, swearing to make him pay for it later. "Is there anything you recommend?"

The man grinned at her. "We have the best spinach calzones in town," he stated proudly.

"Mom, I want pancakes!" proclaimed Ryan.

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "For lunch?"

"Please?"

She sighed. "I suppose so. And order of pancakes and apple juice please." She looked at Rex. "You?"

"I think I'll take one of those calzones and a Sprite."

"And I'll just have a cup of coffee. Black, please."

The man wrote their order down on his notepad. "Coming right up."

"Thank you..." Celeste looked at his name tag. "Richard."

"No problem. If you don't mind me asking, what're your names?"

"This is Rex and that's Ryan," she told him. "And I'm Celeste. Celeste Shade."

"Celeste," repeated a silky voice behind them. They turned to see an older man with dark hair and darker eyes. "What a lovely name."

She was more-or-less creeped out. Something about this guy rubbed her the wrong way. "Thanks, I guess..."

The man gave her a creepy smile before turning to another young man at the register. "My usual, Mr. Todd." The other man scowled as he stuffed some items into a bag and practically shoved it at him. "Thank you. Well, have a good day, Miss Shade." With that, he was gone.

"Jason, what have I told you about doing that?" snapped Richard. "He'll raise the rent _again_!"

"Aw, shut up, Goldie."

"Who was that?" asked Ryan curiously.

Richard sighed. "Mr. Exousía," he answered. "He owns this place."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "The diner?"

"No. The town."

* * *

 _Diana was thrown into the room, colliding with Bruce's figure. There was no "Did it work?" she breathed quietly into his ear. "Did she make it?"_

 _"It worked, Princess," he whispered back. "She's alright."_

 _Circe approached them both as vines entrapped their limbs. "Well, aren't you two a sight for sore eyes," she taunted, turning to the Amazon. "Look at you, Diana. How the mighty have fallen. Your allies have fallen. You're both at my mercy. You've lost. And I've finally won." She cackled victoriously. "The curse is nearly here and there's no stopping it."_

 _Diana glared daggers at her. "You_ think _you've won," she hissed before she could stop herself._

 _The witch's smirk fell. "What are you talking about?" she snapped._

 _A guard soon entered the room. "Your Excellency, there is no sign of the child," he announced._

 _Circe looked absolutely outraged. "_ What _?" she shrieked, whipping her head towards the couple. "Where is she? Where have you hidden her?"_

 _Diana grinned. "Somewhere she'll be safe from you."_

 _It was Bruce's turn to smirk. "You're going down, Circe. Not yet, but eventually."_

 _Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder. "It doesn't matter," proclaimed the witch. "Should your daughter ever have the gall to show up, I will kill her on the spot. For now, no one in the world will have any memory of the oh-so heroic Justice League."_ _Diana and Bruce managed to take each other's hands as the clouds swooped in on them._

 _The curse had hit._

* * *

"I don't suppose there's a hotel or something around here?" Celeste asked Richard as he came to collect their plates.

He beamed at her. "As it just so happens, we also run an inn across the street," he informed her. "I can ask Barbara to check you in. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect."

She reached for her wallet only to be stopped by Rex. "I'll pay," he volunteered.

"You don't have to-"

"I want to."

Celeste decided to shut her mouth, not wanting to cause a scene in front of Ryan. "Fine," she agreed stiffly, faking another smile. Had she mentioned how much she couldn't stand Rex Stewart?

"So we're really staying?" asked Ryan.

Her fake smile turned genuine as she looked down at him. "Sure are, kiddo."

"Huh."

Rex looked up at Richard, who was staring out of the window at the tall clock tower in the center of town. "What is it?"

The man shook his head. "Nothing, really. I just can't remember the last time that clock worked." Rex subtly nudged her foot under the table. She pretended not to notice.

OoOoOo

 **I promise that I didn't mean to do this. Over 5000 words. What the actual hell, right? I was aiming for a little over 4000! *sigh* Whatever. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!**


	3. Chapter 1

**I was reading my old work earlier and I cringed like I never cringed before. God, I sucked at writing. I don't know why the hell I decided to share that, but enjoy please!**

OoOoOo

"Princess, wake up!"

Celeste grumbled, pulling her pillow over her face and turning to her side. "Fuck off," she muttered, knowing exactly who it was. Though she was very much awake, her body wasn't fully ready to get up yet. She most definitely didn't appreciate her ex trying to wake her up, either. She suddenly bolted upright, as a swift pinch was delivered to her side. "Ow! What the hell, Rex?"

He shrugged innocently. "It was the only way to get you up," he said innocently.

She groaned, tugging the blanket off her. "How did you even get in our room?" she demanded, eternally grateful that she wasn't wearing anything too improper. She was sharing a room with her son, after all.

Rex gestured to the bathroom. "The kid let me in," he explained. "Hurry up and get ready, we have things to do."

Celeste rolled her eyes, trying to focus on him through her weariness. "Like what?"

He smirked. "Richard offered to give us a tour of the city when you went to bed last night," he told her. "Why do you think Ryan's up so early? I told him last night."

She crossed her arms over her chest, sighing. "We'll be down in a minute. Go wait outside while I get dressed." Rex obliged, exiting the room and shutting the door behind him. She sighed, massaging her temples with her pointer fingers. God, why had she agreed to this again?

"Mom."

Right. Her son. Who Rex was the father of.

Celeste faked a smile as she turned to face him. "Hey, buddy," she greeted. "What's up? You excited for our tour today?"

Ryan sat on the bed next to her. "Mom, do you like Mr. Stewart?" he asked, both his green and blue eyes wide with innocence.

She was sure her face was as red as a tomato. "What? No!" she exclaimed, louder than she meant to. Damn his perceptiveness! "We're just friends, kid." _Liar,_ a voice in the back of her head whispered into her ear.

The boy gave her a knowing grin before kissing her cheek. "I'm gonna go wait with him downstairs while you get ready, okay?"

Celeste smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, kiddo. I'll be down in a second." He left her alone and she forced herself onto her feet. She took a quick shower before tugging on some clothes - including her necklace - and made her way downstairs. As her former lover has said, Richard was indeed waiting for her with them, dressed in casual clothes this time as opposed to his uniform.

Richard had a big smile on his face. "Celeste, good to see you. Are you ready for the tour?"

She gave him a smile of her own - albeit a bit tight - and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way." Rex smirked at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked behind Richard and Ryan and she very subtly flipped him off.

If she went an entire year without strangling him, it would be a miracle.

OoOoOo

"And over here, we have the school."

They had been walking for around thirty minutes when they came upon it. Celeste regarded the building. It was particularly small. In fact, it looked like it only had one room. "This is the _entire_ school?" she asked incredulously. "I'm sorry, how is that possible?" What she wanted to ask was, "How in the hell would you fit more than one class let alone twelve grades?"

Richard shrugged. "We don't really have that many kids here," he explained. "In fact, most of the 'kids' are teenagers. Maybe all of them."

She arched an eyebrow. "And how long has it been like that?" She refused to believe that there were no children in this town.

Suddenly, Richard's face scrunched up in confusion. It was as if he didn't quite know how to answer her question. "Uh... for a while I guess," he finally responded. "As long as I can remember."

Rex subtly elbowed her and she rolled her eyes. Merely a coincidence. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of his foolery. There were bigger things to worry about. If she and Ryan were going to live here, she couldn't send him to school with teenagers. As someone who had become a mother at eighteen, she could honestly say that teenagers were the cruelest people in the world.

Ryan must have been thinking this to as he looked up at her, face scrunched up in distaste. "I have to go _there_?"

Celeste thought about this. Without an education suitable for an eight year old, Destiny City might not seem like the best place for them. She was about to voice her concerns when Rex cut in (honestly, she was annoyed with how well he knew her), "Not necessarily. We can get you a tutor or maybe your mom could teach you." He threw a wink in her direction. "She is a borderline genius, after all."

She glared at him; was he going to go to any lengths to get her to stay? "I also didn't finish high school, _Rex_ ," she hissed. She looked down at her son thoughtfully. "But a tutor might not be a bad idea." At least until they moved. Her deal with Rex was a year and she was going to honor her word to give Ryan time with his father. Whether they would say after that, however, was up for debate.

"If you're looking for a tutor, I have a recommendation," chimed Richard.

This caught Celeste's attention. "Really? Who?"

"She's an occasional teacher's assistant at the school," he explained. "She mostly makes sure the kids are where they need to be. I could give you her number if you want."

She pondered this. "That actually sounds like a good idea," she decided. "Thank you, Richard." She reached into her pocket and took out her phone. "Here, put her number in here. I'll give her a call later."

Richard obliged, entering the number into the phone. "Oh, she also runs a kickboxing class on weekends. So If either of you are interested..."

Celeste snorted delicately. "Are you her marketing strategy?" she joked. Though, this woman intrigued her already. Who did something as low-key as working with children, but as intense as teaching people to throw each other to the ground?

He shrugged. "Once you meet her, you'll get it. She's just one of those people who are so nice that they're hard to dislike, you know?"

Honestly, the closest person she knew to that was Ryan, but she nodded anyway. "Yeah. I get it. Thanks Richard."

He smiled at her before his eyes drifted to his watch. "Aw, shoot. It's almost time for my shift."

"You'd better go then," Rex piped up after being silent for some time. "Thanks again, man."

Richard grinned. "Anytime," he assured them, turning away. "And if you guys need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

Ryan waved frantically. "Thank you, Mr. Grayson!"

"Yeah, thanks," added Celeste. Her eyebrow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Wait, Grayson?" Where had she heard the name 'Richard Grayson' before? A classmate? Foster brother, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was definitely ringing a bell.

"That's his last name," Rex informed her. "Sounds familiar, don't it?"

She waved it off. "Never mind that, let's just get back to the inn, okay? I have to work on seeing if there are any vacancies available for us."

He chuckled. "Whatever you say, Princess."

OoOoOo

Later that day, they were eating breakfast at Alfred's. As much as she hated feeding her son takeout all the time, she had to admit that the older man for which the restaurant was named was a great cook. She had gotten the chance to meet Alfred and she could honestly say that not even Rex had ever charmed her so much. He was polite and proper with a dry sense of humor to him that really struck a chord with her for some reason.

Celeste shook her head as the three of them ate. "I still can't believe there are no vacancies here."

Rex looked panicked for a second before stating quickly, "I'm sure you'll find something, Princess. Keep looking."

She pursed her lips. "Maybe. I still don't-"

"Who are you?"

Celeste turned abruptly to come face-to-face with a rather malicious-looking woman. Now, as an orphan on the run from child services, she tried not to judge others on their looks, but she couldn't help but feel that something was off about this woman. Something almost - dare she say it - _evil_. She felt Ryan tense next to her and saw Rex eye the woman nervously, which put her on the defensive as she crossed her arms. "Who wants to know?"

The woman put her hands on her hips. "The mayor of this town," she snapped. "So I'll ask again, who are you? And just so you know, _dear_ , I don't like to repeat myself."

Well, wasn't this just perfect? She had to deal with people abusing their positions of power growing up, now she had to deal with this woman? _Kill me now,_ she griped to herself in her head.

Celeste made sure to make direct eye contact. Mayor or not, she wouldn't let this woman scare her. "Celeste Shade," she answered. "My son, partner, and I are thinking of moving here. What can I do for you, Mayor-?"

She could tell her attitude was causing the mayor's ire to grow. Good. "Mageía," she bit out. "Cecile Mageía."

She inwardly smirked before putting on one of her best flattering-yet-absolutely-fake smiles. "Well, _Madame Mayor_ , it's great to meet you. You have such a lovely town. Now, is there something you needed?"

The mayor pursed her lips. "No, I suppose not," she conceded with obvious forced pleasantry. "You're moving here, you say, Miss Shade? How lucky we are to apparently be gaining three new members of the community."

As if she couldn't understand sarcasm. Nevertheless, Celeste decided not to comment on it. "I'm sure we'll enjoy living here." Her eyes glinted with mischief and she couldn't help but add, "Unless you have a problem with us moving into town?"

Cecile's mouth formed a thin line. "Not at all," she grounded out, turning on her heel. "Good day to you, Miss Shade." With that, she was gone.

As soon as the mayor was out of sight, Rex howled with laughter. "You almost had me fooled, Princess," he told her. "I almost thought that parenting had dulled your edge."

Celeste allowed a smirk to grace her lips. "Please, if anything, my edge had been sharpened."

Ryan looked confused. "What edge, Mom?"

She kissed his forehead. "Don't worry about it, kiddo." She thought back to how he had tensed up when Cecile had first arrived. "Bud, you got pretty spooked when the mayor came in. What was that all about?"

Her son looked down before meeting her eyes again. "She was in my dream," he admitted to her.

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "She was the woman getting married?" she assumed.

Ryan shook his head. "No," he answered. "She was the witch."

OoOoOo

"Why didn't you tell me about his dream before?" Rex hissed at her as Ryan walked ahead of them back to the inn.

She glared at him. "I didn't think it mattered," she snapped back. "Why would it? I just assumed that the woman getting married was me and the witch was taken from his imagination. What would it have to do with Batman and Wonder Woman?" _And you had no right to know,_ she so desperately wanted to add. She didn't, however, keeping her eyes on her son.

He groaned and took something out of his bag before thrusting it into her arms. "I don't know, maybe because this dream describes _your parents wedding_!" he nearly shouted. "Princess, if Ryan's having dreams like this-"

" _Enough_!" Celeste cut in, covering her ears and shoving the comic book back to him. God, was he really this much off his rocker? How many times did she have to tell him? She would not nor would she ever believe that they were apart of some comic series. "Listen to me, Rex Stewart, and listen good! My. Parents. Are. Not. Fictional. Superheroes! End of discussion!"

Rex took hold of her arm. "Why is it so fucking hard for you to believe this?" he demanded.

She wrenched her arm free, narrowing her eyes at him. "Touch me like that again," she uttered dangerously. "I dare you."

He didn't back down and leaned in until their noses were nearly touching. "How about you listen to me for a change?" he suggested in the same tone she was using. "I'm going to get you to believe in this curse if it's the last goddamn thing I do in my life. Got it?"

Celeste was suddenly aware of their close proximity and pushed him a good few inches away from her. "Do what you want," she spat, catching sight of Ryan who was looking back at them, puzzled. "I'm going to go attend to my son."

Rex shook his head, walking past her. " _Our son_ ," he whispered into her ear before stalking up to his room.

She felt chills travel up her spine, but ignored them as she went up to the eight year old. "Come on, bud," she urged. "Let's get you ready for bed, okay?"

"Okay..." agreed Ryan reluctantly. As they made their way back to their room, she caught sight of Rex. He winked at her, prompting her to turn her head in the other direction.

Damn him.

OoOoOo

 **I've decided to keep chapters to about 2000 words from here on out. The first two were longer because they're prologues. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	4. Chapter 2

**Man, it's been a while. I honestly had lost inspiration for this story, but it came to me today. Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

A week later, Celeste set up an appointment with the tutor that Richard had recommended. Diana Prince was her name, a woman only a few years older than herself. She had done some digging on the woman - that _was_ her specialty after all - and found that everything checked out. She had been valedictorian from middle school all throughout college and had gotten her masters in child education. Why she wasn't a full-time teacher was a mystery to the twenty six year old.

The answer to this was clear, however, when she arrived at the Amazon Gym that afternoon.

There the woman was, dressed in yoga pants and a training bra and wearing boxing gloves on each hand, delivering quick yet forceful jabs to one of the punching bags. It swung upon every impact. Celeste eyed it nervously, as it looked like it would collapse at any moment. Damn, the woman was strong! This was supported by how totally _ripped_ she was. It looked like she lived and breathed to fight. Like it was her way of life, all she had ever known.

It would probably be wise not to cross her.

Diana seemed to take noticed of her. "Oh, hello there!" she greeted brightly, her entire demeanor changing. In place of the tough, fierce woman she had just seen, was a kind, gentle one. She was surprised that the personality switch didn't give her whiplash. "Are you Celeste Shade?"

Along with looking like she could knock you out with one punch, Diana was also very beautiful. Long, wavy dark hair currently tied into a high ponytail, big, piercing blue eyes, perfectly tanned skin, and rosy red lips all forming the gorgeous woman in front of her. Not to mention, her perfect hourglass figure.

Celeste cleared her throat, making sure to clear her face of any bewilderment it may have shown. "Yes, I am." She held out her hand. "Very nice to meet you."

The powerhouse of a woman took off her gloves. "Likewise." She shook her extended hand. "Sorry about my sweaty palms. I wasn't expecting you until later."

"I had some free time and thought I'd check it out," responded Celeste, not minding the sweat at all. As a runaway foster kid, she had touched much worse. "I can come back if you'd like."

Diana shook her head. "No, that's alright. If you give me some time to shower and change, I can meet with you in about fifteen minutes."

She nodded, taking a seat in one of the chairs. "Sounds great. I can wait for you here." The woman left, leaving her by herself. Celeste took the opportunity to look around the gym. It wasn't too large, but it did have a comfortable atmosphere. Instead of dark colors like blue, red, and black that you might see at any other gym, this one was decorated in brighter colors like yellow, green, and white. The air conditioner was on - which made sense, seeing as it was late spring - and the chairs were rather soft.

As promised, Diana was back within fifteen minutes. Instead of her sports bra and yoga pants, she was now sporting a black pencil skirt and purple blouse. She was also wearing glasses. It was like she was an entirely different person. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Shade." She sat down across from her. "Now, you were interested in a tutor for your son?"

Celeste gave a nod of confirmation. "Yes," she answered. "I heard that your school was mostly teenagers and I didn't want my son to feel uncomfortable. Ryan's only eight and has always been a bit shy, you see."

"I can understand that," replied Diana. "If I may ask, has he always been tutored?"

Celeste shook her head. "No, he's always gone to school. But due to my profession, we've moved around a lot, so he's never really had time to make friends or anything."

Diana seemed to mull that information over. "Out of curiosity, what _do_ you do?" she asked.

She saw that coming. This was one of the reasons they moved so often. Ryan had become a target of bullying due to her getting the other kids' relatives arrested. "I'm a bail bondswoman."

One of the woman's perfectly arched eyebrow quirked. "Really?" She didn't sound judgmental about it, just genuinely interested. "I've never met a bail bondsperson before. Must be quite an exciting job."

Celeste shrugged. "There have been a few... abnormal cases," she agreed. "I ended up having to wait-out a small gang just to corner one of their men once."

Diana chuckled. "Sounds like an adventure." Her expression turned wistful as she glanced up at the ceiling. "I've always wanted to travel and see the world when I was a girl." She shook her head, as if shaking such thoughts from her head. "Dreams of a naïve little girl. I've never even left Destiny City."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you?" she asked. "What's keeping you in a town like this? You could open a gym anywhere in America. What's keeping you here?"

Diana's face suddenly contorted into a confused one. She blinked a few times before shaking her head once more, her face melting back into her usual expression. "I'm afraid my life is here," she finally replied, picking up a stack of papers. "I have my credentials with me if you'd like to see them."

Celeste regarded her carefully. What the actual _hell_ just happened? She took the stack of papers from her even though she already knew that she was more than qualified. She read through them once more, making sure she hadn't missed anything when searching up on her. "Well everything checks out," she said, handing the stack back to the woman. "When are you available?"

"Monday to Thursday from nine to two," answered Diana.

Celeste held out her hand, grinning. "Then I guess you're hired."

Diana took it. "I'm honored."

The sound of someone beeping their car horn ripped through the silent air and Celeste whirled around. Her eyes widened and she put her head in her hands, groaning. "Kill me now."

Diana laughed. "Ex or doting boyfriend?"

Celeste smiled in amusement. "Ex," she answered. "Unfortunately, he's also Ryan's father He's the one who convinced me to move us here." _Why did I say that, why did I say that, **why did I say that?**_ she berated herself. She was never this open with anyone. Hell, she had never been this open with herself! Why was she telling her life story to a woman she just met?

Rex entered the gym. "Hey, Princess, are you-" He stopped, looking between her and Diana, gaping at them silently.

She rolled her eyes. "Rex, _speak_."

He cleared his throat. "I just came to see if you were ready yet."

Celeste glared daggers at him. "I'm twenty-six years old, I don't need you to pick me up," she snapped.

Rex ignored her, holding out his hand to Diana. "Rex Stewart," he introduced.

Diana, who looked nothing less of amused, took it. "Diana Prince. I presume your Ryan's father?"

"That'd be me."

Diana looked over to her. "Well, your son has a wonderful mother."

Rex sent an adoring smile her way. "Believe me, I know."

Celeste fought off the blush creeping onto her face. Damn Rex. He always knew just what to do to get under her skin. A thought came to her suddenly. "Rex, where's Ryan?"

"At the diner."

One of these days, she was going to throttle him. It was funny how he could get her blushing, but then infuriate in under two minutes. "You _left_ my son?!" she demanded.

" _Our_ son," corrected Rex. "And no, I didn't leave him. Richard's there."

Celeste rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on, let's go get him." She glanced back at the other woman. "So nice to meet you, Diana. See you Monday?"

Diana waved. "You too. See you Monday."

Celeste practically dragged him to his car. "What the _hell_ was that?" she hissed.

Rex shrugged. "I can't pick the mother of my son up from interviewing his tutor?" he asked innocently as they climbed in.

She glared daggers at him. "I walked here! It's literally ten minutes from the inn!" She looked around, confused. "And when did you get your car?"

"Last night while you two were sleeping," he answered, starting the car.

Celeste crossed her arms. "And what was with you staring when you came in? You thinks she's hot or something?" As a bisexual woman, she could understand if he did. Diana was breathtakingly beautiful. Yet, for some reason - a reason she couldn't explain - she wasn't physically attracted to her. It was as if a voice in her head was telling her that it was wrong to think of the woman that way.

Rex smirked. "Why jealous?" he teased.

"Absolutely not."

He shook his head, mirth in his eyes. "I was staring because you and Diana look like you could be twins," he revealed.

That was not the answer she was expecting. "I'm sorry, what?"

It was Rex's turn to roll his eyes. "You couldn't see it? You look exactly alike." He thought for a moment. "Except your noses of course."

She turned away from him, dread settling in her stomach at his words. "What, exactly, are you implying?"

"I'm implying that Diana is Wonder Woman," Rex answered. "AKA, your mother."

OoOoOo

"Mom!"

Celeste managed a grin as her son launched himself into her arms. "Hey, kiddo," she greeted, embracing him tightly. She would never let it show and of course she trusted Richard in the sense that he wouldn't let any harm come to him, but she had been worried sick when Rex told her she had left him here. He was all she. If she ever lost him, life wouldn't be worth living. "How was your day?"

Ryan beamed up at her, pulling away from their hug. "Good!" he answered. "Mr. Stewart took me out for ice-cream! Oh!" He grabbed something from the table he was sitting at. "He also gave me this!"

She took it from him, observing it. On the cover were Batman and Wonder Woman, the latter heavily pregnant with a looming, feminine figure behind them. It was titled "The Savior Chronicles." Celeste clenched her fists. Not only was he trying to convince her, he was trying to get Ryan to believe in his fantasy world! She wanted her son to have his father, she really did, but not if he was going to be a danger to him. So far, it wasn't, but she couldn't let him blur the lines of her son's sense of fantasy and reality.

Ryan turned to the last page. "Look, Mom!" he urged. There was a picture of a baby with her necklace around its neck and wrapped in her baby blanket. "It's you!"

Celeste forced herself to smile. "Oh, Ryan, that's just a coincidence," she told him. "That baby isn't me."

He frowned at her. "But that's your blanket and necklace!" he insisted.

She gave him a fake laugh. "Ryan, do you really think a comic writer at DC modeled this baby after me? Is stalking me to write about _my_ life?"

"Well, no..." admitted Ryan. "But-!"

Celeste kissed the top of his head. "You have your first session with Miss Prince Monday," she informed him. "Make sure you're ready."

He faltered, but nodded. "Okay, Mom."

She felt bad, but made sure her mask of indifference didn't break. "I love you, kiddo."

Ryan wrapped his short arms around her waist. "Love you too, Mom."

Rex grabbed her arm. "Can I talk to you outside?" he hissed in her ear. "Now?"

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She looked down at her son. "Hey, bud, why don't you order something for dinner, okay?"

Ryan seemed to brighten at that. "Okay!" he agreed cheerfully, going to sit down. "You want chicken parmesan?"

She winked. "You got me. I'll be right back, kiddo." She followed her ex-boyfriend outside. "What do you want?" She was so _not_ in the mood for this. He was lucky that she had even moved to this small town in the middle of nowhere so he could be with his son. What more did he want from her?

" _Why_ are you telling him things like that?" demanded Rex, glaring her down.

Celeste matched his glare. "Why are _you_ trying to convince my son that I'm a comic book character?" she shot back.

"Because you are! We both are!" He growled in frustration. "I figured that if anyone could get you to believe, it was him!"

She looked at him, he expression one of anger and disbelief. "My god, you really believe what you're saying," she realized. "You honestly think that this fantasy you've created is real."

A new voice cut in. "Because it is." Both adults turned to see a man around ten year older than her getting off his motorcycle. He had short, neatly kept dark hair and intelligent sea green eyes.

Rex groaned. "Took you long enough, Drake," he complained in annoyance.

OoOoOo

 **That took a while to write. So, both Diana and Tim have made an appearance. But where is Bruce I wonder? You'll just have to find out. Until next time! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 3

**Pretty fast update, right? I wanted to see if I could power through it over the last two days and look at that! I did it. Anyway, please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

Celeste arched an eyebrow at the mysterious newcomer. "And who are you supposed to be?" she asked, crossing her arms. Though, she supposed that she didn't really need an answer. Rex had referred to him as "Drake" and, for some odd reason, he had a habit of referring to people by their last names. Hell, it had taken an entire month for him to call her Celeste when they first met. This led her to believe that this was the infamous Tim Drake. The one that had somehow convinced him to leave her.

Tim grinned at her. "I think you already know the answer to that, Celeste."

She glared at him; not even three minutes in and this guy was already getting on her nerves. "Then you're the one who convinced him to leave me alone to rot in a jail cell while pregnant," she concluded.

He at least had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. "I didn't know you were pregnant," he admitted sheepishly. "Not until it was too late."

Celeste felt her ire grow. "So you couldn't just tell him to go back for me? So that he could meet his son?" She clenched her fists at her sides. "My son grew up without a father because of you."

Tim didn't seem the least bit intimidated by her, though, why would he be? He had no idea of her temper. "It was necessary." He gestured to the man beside her. " _He_ was a distraction. You have a destiny that's bigger than him. Bigger than all of us."

To her shock, Rex seemed to be losing his temper with him as well. "And who's the one who got her to come here in the first place?" he pointed out. "Why couldn't I have stayed with her, then brought her here when she turned twenty six?" He blinked and she could tell that he was trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. "Why couldn't I have stayed with my son?"

Tim sighed. "As a hero, emotions get in the way," he tried to explain to the younger adults. "Even if I had known you were pregnant, Celeste, there was nothing I could do about Ryan. I had hoped that you'd give him up for adoption, but you didn't. What could I have done?" He saw their glares and quickly added, "Think what you want of me, but I would never hurt a kid."

"Look, I don't know how you even know about me-"

"I'm your brother," he insisted firmly. "Celeste, I was there for your _birth_. I held you as a newborn baby when we escaped the curse." His eyes softened slightly. "Bruce and Diana were so excited to have you. They ordered the best of everything for you." He smiled slightly. "I was so happy when I found out Diana was pregnant. I always wanted a little sister. I would've done anything for you, protected you from everything I possibly could." His smile faltered. "But I never got the chance."

Celeste stared him down, trying to figure out whether he was serious or not. "I suppose Rex isn't the crazy one here," she finally spoke. "You're very convincing. _I_ almost believed you for a second."

Both men groaned. "You're so goddamn stubborn!" complained Rex.

"So are you," she retorted. "Which begs the question. How did he convince you? It would take more than a sob story to win you over."

He thought for a moment. "Memories," he answered. "They're faint, but they're there. I can remember the three of us escaping the curse. Only glimpses, but I saw you as a baby. And I remembered _him_ when he showed me a picture of him as a kid."

Celeste bit her lip; it was true that he did have a very good memory. "If the woman I met is really my mother, how come she's only three years older than me?" she demanded.

"The curse," answered Tim. "It freezes time. They've been living the same day over and over again for twenty-six years. Time only started moving again when you got here. That's how I knew you had gotten here on time." He chuckled. "Besides, Diana doesn't age anyway. She's immortal. She told me that she stopped aging at twenty one." He looked her over. "I guess it's the same for you too."

"You do look like a twenty-one year old," chimed Rex.

"Shut up," snapped Celeste. She shook her head. "Look, you two are crazy. Accept it." She paused before shrugging. "Or don't. That's not my problem. But by god if you don't act sane around Ryan, so help me Rex Stewart!" She was on the thin line between insane and sane herself, so she couldn't really judge. She just hid it better than him. "We've both gone through a lot thanks to you two and he doesn't need this, alright?" She promptly turned away from them, marching into the diner.

Tim winced. "She's stubborn like her parents," he commented.

"I can't blame her," replied Rex. "If I didn't have those memories, I wouldn't believe it either." He turned to face the other man. "How is she going to break this curse, anyway?"

Tim sighed. "What's the point if she doesn't believe in it?"

Rex stared at him blankly. "You don't know how."

Tim glared at him. "It wasn't like they sent an instruction manual with us." He stared at the building in front of him. "She's going to break it. I may not know how yet, but I do know that getting her to believe is the first step. And your son is the best way to do that."

OoOoOo

A few days had gone by and Celeste had barely given Rex and Tim the time of day. In fact, the only time she spoke to either of them was when she absolutely had to. Which, needless to say, wasn't very often in Tim's case. She had made a deal with Rex and she intended to honor her word. She didn't owe this stranger claiming to be her brother anything.

Monday had come quickly and she had decided to sit on her son's lesson with Diana. As she predicted, he was doing exceptionally well. He was her kid, after all. Even though she had run away before she could finish high school, she had always been smart. School was more of a burden than anything back then. Part of her wished she had gotten her diploma, but it was far too late to change that.

Ryan wasn't perfect, however, and did struggle with some things. These were the times that she observed Diana the closest and she had to admit that she was thoroughly impressed. She was a patient teacher, not getting frustrated when he didn't get the answer straight away. She merely did her best to steer him in the right direction. Growing up in the eighties, teachers like her were a rarity.

"So, did I meet your approval?" teased Diana when the lesson was over. Ryan had gone with Rex to the diner for lunch, so she had invited the woman for coffee.

Celeste smirked. "You could say that," she answered cryptically, taking a sip of coffee. "Seriously though, you're a really good teacher."

Diana laughed. "Good to know that I'm on Celeste Shade's good side."

What was it about this woman that made Celeste open up to her completely? She didn't joke like this with just anyone. Her walls were up 24/7, so how was it that Diana was able to chip away at them so easily when even Rex - a person she had once loved and trusted with her entire being - could not? She was sure it wasn't attraction, so what in the world was wrong with her?

Celeste cleared her throat. "I was thinking of joining you kickboxing class," she revealed. "Would that be alright?"

Diana beamed at her. "Of course! I'd love to have you join my class! It's always a good idea to learn self-defense."

Celeste nodded in agreement. "I've always wanted to learn. I could just never find the time." She chuckled. "I always imagined myself fighting with the Justice League when I was a kid. Stupid right?"

Where the actual _hell_ did that come from? She was letting Rex get into her head.

Something fluttered in Diana's eyes, but she blinked and it was gone. "Most girls wish to be princesses, but I wouldn't call it stupid. You had goals."

"Somewhat."

There was a knock on the door, confusing Celeste. If it had been Ryan and Rex, they would have just opened the door. It could have been Tim, but she had made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. She stood up to answer it, only to come face-to-face with the mayor herself. "Can I help you?" she asked bluntly.

Cecile gave her an obviously fake smile. "Just came to see how you were settling in to our little town," she blatantly lied. She eyed the kickboxing teacher behind her. "I see you've met Miss Prince."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Yes. What of it?"

Cecile shrugged innocently. "It's just that I never pictured someone as... 'interesting' as you associating yourself with someone as 'pristine' as her."

Celeste blinked harshly just to keep her temper in check. "I don't think it's your business who I associate myself with, Madame Mayor," she shot at the woman. She didn't like her. She didn't like her at all. It wasn't just the fact that she had a vindictive personality, but she also just gave her a bad vibe. There was something about her that set off every warning bell in her head.

The mayor's sickeningly sweet smile turned into a smoldering glare. "Watch yourself, Miss Shade," she warned. "You don't want to make an enemy out of me." She leaned in closer. "You have no idea what I'm capable of." With that, she turned on her heal.

The twenty six year old groaned. "Ugh, I can't stand her! How did she even get elected mayor?"

Diana shrugged. "I have no idea. She's been mayor for a while now, too."

"How long?"

Diana froze for a second, as if the answer was no where in her head. Finally, she responded with, "As long as I can remember."

That was off-putting, but Celeste dismissed it as a moment of jumbled thoughts. "Strange," she commented. "And why did she call you pristine?"

Diana winced. "I have no idea," she answered honestly. "She's always hated me. I don't even know what I did to her."

She crossed her arms. "Sounds jealous to me."

The older woman blushed lightly. "Oh, I don't know about that," she said modestly. "What do I have that she could possibly be jealous of?"

"Well, you're a lot prettier than her," Celeste pointed out. A lot prettier than anybody on Earth, really.

Diana shook her head in denial. "Oh, no," she denied. "I wouldn't say that."

"I would."

Diana chuckled. "You're a flatterer in your own right, Celeste Shade. I can see why Rex still loves you."

Celeste nearly spit out her coffee. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You can't tell?"

She buried her head in her hands. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

OoOoOo

Everything was falling apart.

Cecile had noticed the old clock beginning to tick again. She had felt the magic weaken slightly in her perfect curse. And it was all because of that insolent wench that had the gall to move into her town.

She knew who the girl was the moment she laid eyes on her. That was Diana's brat, alright. There was no mistaking it. They looked exactly like each other and she had the same arrogance that Cecile had hated in her mother. The question was, why? Why did her presence have such an affect on the magic keeping her enemies imprisoned?

She needed to get rid of her. She had worked too damn hard taking away Diana's happiness for this girl to ruin it.

"Mark my words, Celeste Shade," hisses Circe into her mirror. "When I'm through with you, you'll wish that you had never stepped foot in this town."

OoOoOo

 **I kinda like this chapter better than the others. I don't know, I just think it flows well. So, we got some insight on how Tim has influenced Celeste's fate (dick move, Tim). We also see what Circe - or rather, Cecile - thinks of our heroine. I know I teased a Bruce reveal last chapter, but I think I'll save him for later. Anyway, please review!**


	6. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I know it took FORVER, but here's another chapter! Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

 _Yelling._

 _That was the only sound that reached her ears. She pressed her hands to them tightly, trying to block out the sound. It didn't work. No matter how hard she pressed, the yelling was loud enough to rip right through her shields. She hated yelling. Yelling led to anger. Anger led to pain. She pulled her knees to her chest and began to hum, trying to soothe herself._

 _After a few minutes, she dared to remove her fingers from her ears and peek out from under her blanket. It had suddenly gone silent. She sat up, surveying her area. She was alone. No one was in her room. That was good._

 _She didn't like it when **he** was in her room._

 _She took a deep breath, pressing a hand to her racing heart in an attempt to calm it. The anxious pit in her stomach was enough to make her want to empty what little she had eaten for dinner. She swallowed the bile daring to rise in her throat. Throwing up would only make things worse._

 _She slowly settled back into her thin mattress, trying to will herself to sleep. She let herself wonder what it would be like if she lived in a normal house with no yelling or hitting or people touching her when she didn't want to be touched. She wondered what it would be like to have parents who wouldn't get angry with her for throwing up or wetting the bed._

 _She wondered what it would be like to have a family._

* * *

Celeste's eyes snapped open and she shot up from her bed. Cold sweat drenched her forehead and she found herself gasping for air. After a few minutes, she had calmed down enough to rub her eyes of the sleep that plagued them. _It was a dream,_ she tried to convince herself. _Just a dream._ Though, in her heart she knew it wasn't true. It was more than a dream, it was a memory.

Celeste leaned against her headboard and stared up at the ceiling, collecting her thoughts. Why was she so spooked? Nothing bad had happened to her in that memory, so why did it seem like a nightmare? That was far from the worst of her childhood.

"Mom?"

She turned to see her son standing in her doorway and tried to put on a smile. "Hey, kiddo," she greeted. "What are you doing up?"

Ryan shuffled his feet nervously. "I heard you crying," he answered. "Are you okay?"

Celeste was suddenly aware of the almost-dry tear marks on her cheeks and how much her eyes stung from crying. "Just a bad dream," she told him. "Nothing to worry about, kid." She gestured him over. "Come here."

Ryan immediately went over to her, sitting himself on her lap and resting his head on her chest. "You sure you're okay?" he asked quietly.

She sighed. While she made sure to leave out the most gruesome details of her growing up, her son was aware that she was an orphan and that the foster homes she had stayed in hadn't been the best. "I'm fine, Nugget," she assured him.

"Can I stay with you, tonight?"

Celeste chuckled. "Of course you can." She moved aside so that he could snuggle in next to her. He did so, nestling himself into her side. "I love you, Ryan."

"I love you too, Mom," came the muffled response. She smiled softly as he eyelids slowly closed, drifting off into a peaceful slumber once more.

OoOoOo

Kickboxing was a lot harder than Celeste thought it would be. Then again, that might have been because she was severely out of shape.

Now, she wasn't overweight in the slightest. In fact, she had always been quite small for her age due to the lack of full meals during her adolescence. She had never joined any sports as a child, joining sports drew attention. She had been a shy kid, opting for sticking to the shadows. Large crowds had - and to this day still - made her nervous. She supposed that was where Ryan got it from seeing as though Rex wasn't shy in the least.

Diana chuckled at seeing her pupil sprawled on the floor. "Come on, Celeste," she encouraged. "I know you have more in you."

Celeste's chest heaved violently as she tried to regain her energy. "You make it look so fun and easy," she huffed dramatically. "It's all a trap." She was highly embarrassed. Sure, even Diana looked a little worn, but she wasn't on the floor and unable to move. Not to mention, Celeste was soaked in sweat. She felt utterly disgusting.

The older woman clicked her tongue. "I told you to go at your own pace," she chided. "Don't try to do everything that we do."

Right, there were others in the class besides her. Shayera Hol, Dinah Lance, Mari McCabe, and Helena Bertinelli all shared the class with her. Though, from the looks of it, Dinah could be teaching the class. She was nearly as good as Diana. Though, while Diana thought on her feet and relied a bit more on her strength, Dinah's moves were more calculated since she wasn't quite as strong as the other woman. Neither method was necessarily right or wrong, they were just vastly different.

Mari glanced at the clock. "Di, it's seven fifteen," she pointed out to the instructor.

Diana nodded. "Okay, you guys are free to go," she allowed. "You all did great today. Make sure to drink plenty of water, it's hot outside." As they all left, she approached the woman on the floor, kneeling next to her. "Celeste, honey, you have to get up. Rex is gonna be here to pick you up soon."

Diana was an affectionate and mothering woman, Celeste had discovered. The older woman had taken to calling her things like "honey" and "sweetie." She didn't do the same to anyone else, so she figured she gave off a "broken" vibe to her. She wasn't as offended as she thought she'd be, though. It was taking some getting used to, but it also didn't bother her as much as it should have.

Celeste groaned. "Let him drag me away."

Diana laughed, helping her up. "You'll get used to it soon enough," she assured. "It just takes time."

She scoffed. "Says the _powerhouse_ over here. You don't even sweat!"

Diana crossed her arms. "I do too sweat," she insisted.

"Please, you glow."

The woman stopped, pursing her lips in thought. "I'm getting déjà vu," she stated, holding her head. "Have we had this conversation before?"

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "This is the first class I've ever taken," she reminded her.

Diana squinted. "I could have sworn that I've said that to someone before..." She waved it off. "It's probably nothing."

This was really starting to freak her out. These small moments would happen a lot. Diana would freeze and then go quiet, trying to recall a memory that she simply didn't have. Not just her, either. Richard acted the same way at times. It was strange to say the least. She didn't tell Rex about her observations because he would chalk it up to the damn curse that he and Tim were trying to convince her was real. She refused to believe it; there had to be a reasonable explanation.

Speak of the devil, Rex just entered the gym. "Hey, Princess," he greeted as he eyed her, grinning in amusement. He knew all to well about her lack of physical ability. "Have fun?"

Celeste glowered at him. "Just get in the goddamn car, Rex Stewart," she grumbled, to which he chortled.

Diana smiled at her. "You did good today, Celeste," she praised.

Celeste stretched. "Thanks," she said. "but I'm definitely gonna feel that in the morning." She waved weakly. "See ya, Diana."

Diana waved back. "Bye, hon. Got some rest."

Celeste and Rex exited the gym. Well, more like Rex led Celeste out of the gym and she stumbled behind him. He gave her a mildly concerned look as they got in the car. "You gonna be okay, Princess?" he asked.

She unwittingly leaned onto his shoulder. She knew that she shouldn't have, but she was far too tired to care. "I'm fine," she mumbled into the fabric of his shirt.

He tensed, but eventually relaxed as he started the car. "Careful," he warned playfully. "You might give the impression that you still have feelings for me."

Silence. Silence so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The volume of his simple words rattled her to her very core, her feelings concerning him still very much present. Eight years hadn't quelled her heart's desires. Still, he didn't need to know that. Even though her heart yearned for him, it couldn't have him. He was not to be trusted with it ever again.

"Just take me home to my son," she finally demanded.

Rex chuckled and she could tell that he was silently reveling in her refusal to answer his question. "Whatever you want."

OoOoOo

A few weeks of kickboxing had gone by and Celeste felt that she was getting better. She was slowly building muscle and her endurance was also a lot better than it had been when she first started. Of course, she was nowhere near any of the other ladies' levels, but she was sure that if she needed to, she could defend herself without any problems.

So, it shouldn't have come to a surprise that she almost punched Tim in the jaw when he tapped on her shoulder from behind at Alfred's. He dodged easily, holding his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy. I'm not gonna rob you or anything."

Celeste relaxed a bit, but kept her guard up. Despite claiming to be her brother, Tim wasn't someone she trusted at all. He was, after all, the reason she was left in jail whilst pregnant. To say that he wasn't her favorite person was an understatement. "What do you want, Drake?" she demanded. "I swear, if you talk to me about that damn 'curse' one more time-"

Tim shrugged. "I just want to get to know my sister," he interrupted innocently. He sat down and gestured for her to do the same. She did so reluctantly. "So, what's your favorite color?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's the best you could do?"

"Can I please have an answer?"

Celeste sighed. "Purple," she finally answered.

Tim grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Next question, what's your favorite animal?"

She rolled her eyes. "If you're my so-called brother, shouldn't you already know all this?" she asked.

He scowled at her. "Just because I 'kept an eye' on you, doesn't mean I stalked you," he deadpanned. "I'm not that creepy, gosh."

Celeste hummed, unimpressed, before responding with, "I like most animals. Don't really have a favorite."

Tim nodded in understanding. "Favorite drink?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "I know it's going to sound weird," she began. "but caramel Frappes with cinnamon sprinkled inside." He stopped for a moment before his mouth curled up into the biggest grin she had ever seen. "What?"

"That was Diana's favorite too," answered Tim.

Celeste crossed her arms. "You're lying."

He placed his hand over his chest. "Swear to god I'm not," her promised. "Don't believe me? You can ask her yourself."

She growled in annoyance, standing up. "Maybe I will," she decided. She huffed, stalking out of the diner.

Tim leaned back, satisfied. Sure, this process was taking longer than he would have liked, but they were getting there. He had explained to Rex that it would take baby steps to get her to believe. He looked sadly at his cursed brother as he served as a waiter. "Soon, Dick," he whispered to himself. "You and everyone else will be free."

OoOoOo

Celeste anxiously waited for Ryan's lesson with Diana to end.

She fidgeted in her seat, her eyes trained on the two. It felt like the lesson was dragging on forever, even though there were only about two minutes left. After what felt like a lifetime, Diana rose from her seat. "Very well done, Ryan," she complimented, smiling softly. Her eyes shone with pride at having such a bright student. "You're done for today."

Ryan nodded. "Thank you, Miss Prince," he replied politely. He ventured off to his room without another word.

"Diana," said Celeste nervously, standing up.

Diana looked at her, the smile still on her face. "What is it, sweetheart?"

She bit her lip. "This is gonna sound weird, but does your favorite drink happen to be caramel Frappes with cinnamon sprinkled inside?" she asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.

The tutor looked affronted. "Actually, yes," she answered. "How did you know that?"

Well, Celeste couldn't say that a total stranger had informed her, now could she? "Helena told me," she answered hastily, trying to calm herself down. "I just thought I'd ask because that's my favorite too."

Diana blinked. "Oh," she accepted, packing up her things. "Okay." She gave Celeste a quick hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Celeste nodded numbly as she left. She sighed, once again sitting down. She had a lot to think about.

OoOoOo

 **I stayed home today from school (I'm seriously considering being homeschooled, my school really sucks), so I decided to chip at this and see if I could get it finished and I did! Yay! Sorry if it seems choppy though. Please enjoy!**


	7. Chapter 5

**Hello, people of the internet! Welcome to another chapter! Fun fact, I didn't even mean to start typing this. My friend just unblocked my computer (my freaking school blocked Fanfiction!) and this happened. Then, I finished it at home the next day. Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

 _You have **got** to be kidding me._

Celeste felt like tearing her own hair out when Alfred - albeit apologetically - had informed her that guests with prison records were not allowed at the inn. How had he known that? Well, the esteemed Mayor Mageía had decided to have her very _private_ juvenile records published for the whole goddamn town to see. She also just happened to give the inn a little call to remind them of their policy. Which resulted in her and her son being homeless.

"Are you okay?"

She glared viciously at the man to the side of her. "Of course I am, Rex," she drawled sarcastically as she shoved a bra into her suitcase. "Not only am I homeless, but my son is too! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Rex shrugged at her. "No need to get snippy."

Celeste inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down. She had to remind herself that he wasn't the enemy here. Cecile was. And no way was she going to take this laying down. She was no longer the poor little orphan, forced to deal with the shitty way people could treat her and get away with it. She was a twenty six year old woman, bail bondswoman, and mother and she wasn't about to let herself be pushed around anymore.

Rex must have noticed the look on her face because he held out his hands cautiously. "Princess, you're not going to do anything stupid, are you?" he asked her, eyeing her carefully.

She supposed it made sense. Though, she preferred to think her actions through, she wouldn't deny that she had a temper. A temper that could get ugly were she angered enough. He had been the sole witness to it during their relationship. Most of the time, she wasn't angry. She had a calm, collected mannerism that she used to see through people clearly. It definitely came in handy as a mother.

Yet, in her younger years, she was guilty of hastily lashing out. Primarily, it hadn't been directed at Rex specifically. The worst he had received - she recalled - was her highly annoyed with him. There simply hadn't been any time for her to get really angry with him. Not with all the time they had spent on the road, laying under the radar of the law.

Still, he had witnessed her temper. Their clothes hadn't always been the cleanest and their appearances almost always disheveled, so at times they attracted the stares of others. As foster kids, they had been judged all their lives, so they were both used to people staring at them. That wasn't what set her off.

What set her off was that a woman had the actual audacity to comment on how they looked to their faces.

Celeste, to this day, still couldn't remember exactly what she said to the woman. All she could recall was her thumping heart, her flushed face, and Rex holding her back by her waist after the fact, practically dragging her from the store before the police were involved. He had good-naturedly named her "She-Hulk" after the incident.

She hardly spared him a glance. "What I'm going to do is none of your business, Rex," she snapped, stalking past him. "Just keep an eye on Ryan."

He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Celeste, just wait a minute," he tried to reason with her. She could tell he was being serious seeing as though he used her name. He never did that. The man gently but firmly tugged her away from the door. "Listen, Princess, you can't mess with Cecile."

Celeste scoffed, yanking her arm away and placing her hands on her hips. "Why?" she demanded. "Because she's the oh-so powerful mayor? Is that supposed to scare me?"

Rex crossed his arms. "No," he answered. "You can't mess with Cecile because she's actually Circe."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Who?" Was she supposed to know who that was?

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "The sorceress who cast the curse and separated us from our parents," he informed her. "The witch Ryan saw in his dream."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She couldn't believe that he was still going on about that. Cecile wasn't some evil witch that she needed to burn or whatever. She was just another person of authority abusing her power and trying to put her down. Well, she wasn't going down without a fight.

Rex grabbed the comic and flipped to the wedding scene. "You're going to try and tell me that _this_ isn't Cecile?"

Well, even she had to admit that they did look similar. They had the same refined facial structure, the same voluptuous body. The only real difference was that Cecile's hair wasn't purple, though the inky black color was close to it.

Despite this, Celeste waved it off. "Coincidence." It seemed as though she used that phrase a lot nowadays. It was what she was sure that these similarities were, merely coincidences. "And if what you and Tim are trying to convince me of is true, then I should be able to take her on, right? Isn't that why I'm the 'Savior,' as you put it?"

He groaned. "That's not really how it works-"

She held up a hand. "Save it. I'm a grown woman and I'll do what I have to do. Take care of my baby." With that, she walked past him with her nose turned upward and exited the room.

Rex sighed, running his fingers through his hair. She was going to get herself into so much trouble and he wasn't sure that he could protect her. He supposed that she wouldn't want him to, anyway. She was independent and would throw his attempts right back at his face. He smirked; that must have been one of the reasons he was still so madly in love with her.

OoOoOo

Celeste found the oh-so esteemed mayor at the diner and slammed the newspaper onto the table. "What the _hell_ is this?" she spat, her words dripping with pure, unadulterated fury. Never in her life had she felt so exposed. Her dark past was on display for everyone to see- and it was all because the mayor had a particular dislike for her.

Cecile spared her a glance. "I'm afraid that I've no idea what you're talking about. Can you be more specific?"

She gestured to a picture of herself at seventeen years old and completely stone-faced with the words "Juvenile Delinquent in Our Town?" plastered above her. "I'm talking about _this_ ," she hissed. "How _dare_ you publish my private information. These are juvenile records; they're not accessible to the public!"

The mayor gave her a rather bored look, which only served to infuriate her more. "Miss Shade, I have no power over what the press publishes," she so blatantly lied. The woman had power over everyone, that much was clear. While she may not have had official power over the press, she definitely had influence. Everyone in town was afraid of her. Even Diana, who was as fierce and strong as they came, seemed to fear her. "If you're so concerned with you _privacy_ , you'll have to take it up with the press."

Celeste scowled. "Oh, believe me, I will." She wanted to do so much to the woman that it was borderline sadistic, but managed to withhold herself. Attacking the mayor was definitely not in her best interest and would only cause more suffering for Ryan. She definitely didn't want to get arrested again - prison wasn't fun - which meant that the only thing to do was to walk away. So, holding her head up high, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the diner.

OoOoOo

As she made her way to the press building, Celeste tried to calm herself down. She had to remember that whoever had exposed her like that more than likely hadn't done it of their own accord. They were just another ant under Cecile's manipulative thumb. Still, she was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

She came across a man typing rapidly at his desk, slightly hunched over. From what she could tell, he had short, messy black hair and quite a muscular build. "Excuse me?" she called sweetly, trying to let him know that she wasn't angry with him.

The man started and turned to her and she could see that he had sky blue eyes hidden behind glasses and a firm jaw. He couldn't have been that much older than her, perhaps Diana's age. "Oh no," he muttered at the sight of her. "Miss, I am so, so sor-"

Celeste held up a hand, silencing him. "I'm guessing the mayor had something to do with my face being on the cover of today's paper, right?" she guessed, keeping her tone light.

The man blushed, lowering his head in shame. "She dug up some information on you a few weeks ago and made me write it last night," he revealed. "She told me that if I didn't, I'd be out of a job."

Just as she suspected. He was just as much as a victim as she was. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Clark," answered the man. "Clark Kent."

Celeste raised an eyebrow; now that was a name that no one could ignore. "Like _Superman_ , Clark Kent?"

He blushed lightly. "My folks were real big fans," he told her, as if he got that question a lot.

She sighed in contentment; finally, someone having a DC name made sense! Now, if only the rest of the town had a reasonable explanation. "I see," she responded. "Listen, Mr. Kent. I'm not angry with you."

Clark actually looked up at her, relief washing over his face. "You're not?"

Celeste shook her head. "I've dealt with people like her before. She's nothing but a bully with too much power. Not anything I haven't handled before. This is simply a minor setback for me."

He nodded, but still looked ashamed. "I really am sorry, Miss. I wish I could have told her no. I hate that no one in this town is brave enough to stand up to her." He sighed. "Including me. Everyone just does what she says." He thought for a moment. "Well, except for Mr. Exousía."

This peaked her interest. "Mr. Exousía? You mean the pawnshop owner? The one everyone pays rent to?"

"That'd be him," replied Clark. "Even Cecile has to pay rent, that's why she hates him; because he has power over her. But, he's the one person who isn't scared of her." He paused. "And the one person everyone is scared of more than her."

"Hmm," pondered Celeste. "That's actually something to remember. Thank you, Mr. Kent."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You can just call me Clark."

She smiled. "Well, then you can just call me Celeste." She turned away from him, making her way towards the door. "See you around, Clark." She left the building, thoughts of Mr. Exousía on her mind. Since she already had Cecile as an enemy, it would do her good to have him as an ally.

OoOoOo

Rex eyed her as she walked into the room. "Oh, good," he commented upon seeing her. "You're still alive. For a second I thought that I'd have to have Tim look for you on his motorcycle."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "Cecile doesn't have any magic powers to turn me into a toad or something." She smirked evilly. "Besides, I'll pay her back." Oh, was she going to pay the mayor back. Cecile wouldn't know what hit her when she was done. She was already formulating a plan in her head.

He sat up straighter, eyes scanning her face. "Celeste, no," he implored. "Just leave it alone. Cecile has too much power and influence in this town. Think about what'll happen to you. Think about what'll happen to the _kid_."

That caught her attention and pulled her out of her revenge plans. Right. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She was a mother and she couldn't afford to put Ryan at risk. It was just _him_. Rex being here was making her forget who she was now, forcing her to delve into her past personality. She couldn't do that. She wouldn't let her heart ruin everything she had worked for.

"You're right," she admitted reluctantly. "I... let my anger get the better of me."

He shrugged. "Happens to the best of us."

Celeste nodded. "I won't attack her," she promised him. "but if she pushes me, I can't promise that I won't push back."

"Understandable."

There was silence between them. A silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, it simply just existed. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She was ready for anything Rex Stewart threw at her, right? There was nothing he could say that would ever take her for a loop.

"I imagined having a kid with you back then."

Except for that. She wasn't prepared for that.

Celeste blinked, trying to wrap her head around the words he had just uttered. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Rex shifted nervously. "The days before the... 'incident,'" he clarified. "We had been talking about settling down. I had always thought that would include a kid." He chuckled bitterly. "Well, that and marriage. And I... I think I was ready for it. I really do. I wanted to be a dad and I wanted to marry you. _God_ , did I want to marry you." He turned to face her fully. "Princess, I-"

She cut him off by pressing her lips to his.

OoOoOo

 **Aaannnnddd scene! Cheesy, I know, but I couldn't resist! Oh, and you loyal WonderBat shippers, just wait! It's coming! Please, just bare with me. Anyway, please review!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys. Long time, no see. I've been brainstorming this for a few weeks now and I think I've finally got it. Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

 _She wasn't proud of herself._

 _Seventeen-year-old Celeste Shade had never wanted to become a thief. That had never been her goal. The one thing she had longed for her entire life was to be adopted by a loving couple, or even just a caring person. To have her own family and maybe do something useful with her life. Unfortunately, that never happened. So, this was her only alternative._

 _She had left the foster system a little under two years ago. Her latest home had been the last straw. She was sick of foster families, sick of people who only cared about the check that came with her than her herself. She had thought Morgan, her last foster mother, was different, but she had been wrong. So wrong._

 _After that, it was apparent to Celeste that she wasn't safe in the foster system. She would be much better on her own, doing her own thing. She had known it wouldn't be easy, but figured it had to be better than the worst she had endured as a child. In some ways, it was, in other ways, it wasn't, but even she had to admit that being her own boss was something she relished in._

 _For the first time ever, she felt free._

 _Of course, she wouldn't feel free for long if she got caught._

 _Looking around to make sure no one was watching her, Celeste stuffed some of the food from the grocery shelf into her pockets. It wasn't much, just enough to feed her for a day or two, but it was better than nothing._

 _"You know, your technique isn't very good."_

 _She jumped, whirling around to face whoever had just spoken. He was tall, she noticed, much taller than her. He looked to be around her age too, maybe a bit older. His skin was slightly darker than hers and he had buzzed hair. However, what really caught her attention were his eyes. They were like two emerald green orbs, boring into her very soul. She found that she couldn't look away even if she wanted to._

 _He smirked down at her. "Miss, I know I'm quite handsome, but a reply would be nice?" His voice was rugged and a bit raspy, but it worked for him._

 _Celeste blinked, snapping herself out of her gaze. "Do I know you?" she asked, her tone short and clipped. She wasn't in the mood to make friends, not after what happened with her first and only friend. It was too much work, too much uncertainty._

 _He shook his head. "Nah, but if you're gonna steal, you should go a lot slower. Less suspicious that way."_

 _She flinched. "I wasn't-"_

 _He laughed at her. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna bust you or anything," he assured her. He thought for a second before adding, "Well, for a price."_

 _Celeste bristled at that. "What do you want?" she questioned carefully. "I don't have any money, obviously, and-"_

 _The man held out a hand to silence her. "Nothing like that." He gave a wolfish grin that she somehow didn't find creepy. "Let me take you out for a drink."_

 _She was taken back by his bold statement. Was she just asked out on a date? Why would anyone want to go out with her? She was just a scrawny little foster kid that no one-_

 _Celeste banished these thoughts to the recesses of her mind. She was doing it again. She was letting her past control her. Every insult, all the harm done to her by the foster parents she had still lingered in her head, still whispered in her war. It was like no matter where she went, she'd always be an orphan no one wanted or cared about._

 _Well, you know what? Screw that._

 _She looked the mystery man in his - very nice - eyes and nodded her head. "Deal," she agreed._

* * *

The Amazon baffled him.

That was saying something, since not many things in life stumped Bruce Wayne, AKA The Batman. Things that did always caught his interest. In his mind, they always required... "special" attention. And this Diana woman definitely caught his interest. Not only was she from an island closed off from the rest of the world, she was a princess.

What was the point in coming all the way to this land and fighting for a world that you weren't even from? Sure, Clark did that, but he was different. He had grown up on Earth, had called it home all his life. This woman was different. Why help total strangers?

Total strangers she seemed to look down upon.

While the Amazon was a friendly person, she had an air about her. She looked down on men and women alike; men because, well, she was an Amazon and they despised men - though, she didn't seem to dislike them as expect the least from them - and she seemed severely disappointed in the women.

Though, Bruce supposed that was to be expected from someone who grew up with warrior women for role models.

Nevertheless, he didn't trust this Amazon. He most certainly didn't buy the whole "helping from the goodness of her heart." No one was that good of a person, not even him. She must have had an ulterior motive.

He'd have to keep a close eye on Diana of Themyscira.

* * *

 _Celeste was sure this man was playing her._

 _After spending some time with him, he had displayed no problem with sharing his entire life story, which, in hindsight, was quite similar to her own. Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, going through the foster system until he decided to run away, now getting buy as a thief. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought he was an undercover cop gaining her trust to drag her back into the system until she was eighteen._

 _..._

 _Okay, maybe she wasn't quite important enough for that, but he point still stood. There was something strange about Rex Stewart._

 _Of course, she wasn't about to pass up a free drink because of these suspicions. She had first tasted alcohol when she she was eight due to one of her foster fathers leaving a half-empty bottle lying around. She had taken a sip and somehow decided, "Hey this isn't half bad." She hadn't been drinking it excessively over the years, but she still managed to get a drink every now and again._

 _Alright, maybe her old social worker was right. Maybe she did need therapy._

 _"So, why don't you tell me something about yourself?" suggested Rex, taking a sip of his beer._

 _Celeste took a sip of her own drink - a margarita - and raised an eyebrow. "And what would you like to know about me?" she asked coyly._

 _He shrugged. "Anything, everything. Whatever you want to share."_

 _She traced the the rim of her glass in thought. "My story isn't all that different from yours, to be honest," she answered. "I was abandoned on the side of a road in Jersey by my parents when I was a newborn, bounced from foster home to foster home until I left about two years ago." Why was she telling him this? She didn't quite know. It just felt like he would understand, maybe because their stories were so much alike._

 _Rex regarded her carefully. "And how old are you?"_

 _She checked to see if the bartender was listening before responding,"Seventeen."_

 _His eyebrows rose slightly. "And you have an ID that clearly states that you're twenty-one?"_

 _It was Celeste's turn to shrug. "Well, it's not like you haven't done the same," she pointed out. "You're older than me, but not by much. You're, what, nineteen? Twenty?"_

 _Rex sighed before nodding in defeat. "I won't tell if you don't."_

 _She nodded. "Deal." They stared each other down, before both of them erupted in amused, slightly drunk laughter. God, she hadn't laughed like that since, well, since she'd had her first friend._

 _Maybe it wasn't too late for her, after all._

* * *

As one of Gotham City's most elite, Bruce was invited to many events all over the world. This time, his presence had been requested at a charity ball in Paris. He usually didn't like to stray far from Gotham, but that earlier that day he had heard that Diana would be making an appearance as a special guest.

It would be the perfect time to investigate.

The more he was around her, the more suspicious Bruce had become of the Amazon Princess. No one was that nice or honest - except for Kent, but he was a boy scout - without some kind of motive.

He just couldn't figure out what she wanted.

As much as an Amazon Princess wouldn't have a a reason for helping the rest of human civilization, she wouldn't have a motive for betraying it either. Her people lived in isolation for a reason.

Unless... the Princess was a little more deceptive than she let on.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find out much about her as Batman without looking too invested in her. Eventually, it would start to look suspicious and raise questions. And honestly, he didn't feel like answering to any of the other members of the Justice League they had formed.

Besides, this charity event was the perfect opportunity. If Batman couldn't get close to Wonder Woman, maybe Bruce Wayne could.

* * *

 _Honestly, this was so cliche._

 _Celeste had formed a sort of "partnership" with Rex. She was fast and he was careful, so they had come to the conclusion that if they worked together, they would be able to get more of, well, everything. She was ashamed to admit that she had developed a thrill when she stole. Her heart thumping in her ears, her blood rushing to her face in a flush... It was all so exhilarating and she loved that feeling._

 _But she loved the talks between them even more._

 _Growing up, something had always set her apart from the other foster children. Maybe it was the boundless hope and desire for a family, maybe it was her need for companionship, but she had never felt like she truly belonged anywhere. Even with, well,_ her _, she didn't feel like she was totally understood._

 _With Rex, it was different. She had found herself able to open up to him about almost everything. If was as if her understood her; completely and totally got her. And honestly, that was the best feeling._

 _As much as she hated it, she felt like she was forming a crush on her partner in crime. She didn't think anything would come of it though. Soon enough, they would part and go their separate ways._

 _He wouldn't have that much impact on her life in the long run._

* * *

He was falling for her, and he hated himself for it.

Bruce ran a hand through his unusually unkempt hair. He had been aware of his burning desire for her for months now, but it was that mission. That one mission that he realized that his feelings regarding Diana went beyond attraction, went beyond even friendship. He shook his head; and it only took nearly losing her to a missile for him to realize it.

In his endeavor to find out more about her, Bruce had been unintentionally growing closer to the Amazon. He hadn't realized it at first because he had been so convinced that she had some sort of plan that he hadn't been paying attention to himself. All he had been focusing on outside of Gotham was her.

How? How could he have let this happen? He couldn't really fault himself for being attracted to her because, well, look at her. Not even he could deny that the word "gorgeous" didn't even being to do her justice. He certainly had no doubts when she said she had been blessed by the Goddess of Beauty herself.

But Bruce had been with many pretty girls. No, what he felt for Diana was closer to what he felt for both Selina and Talia. And that in and of itself was a problem. Both women had been close to him, much too close. Which was why he wasn't with them now. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

This couldn't be allowed to continue. He couldn't let it.

OoOoOo

 **So, this was to establish the backgrounds, origins, and parallels of both of the main couples in this fic. It was something I've been meaning to do for quite some time and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Next chapter, we get to see the same stories from Rex and Diana's POVs. I hope you enjoyed it and please review!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Sorry it took so long, but here's another chapter just for you! Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

 _Celeste had to be the most interesting woman Rex Stewart had ever met._

 _She was smart and witty, which was good because she had used those traits to get them out of plenty of close calls with the police. She was also particularly charming, which led people into a false sense of security with her before the two of them robbed them blind. Despite this, Celeste was actually very shy and a bit awkward. She had a dry sense of humor, but he chalked that up to her protecting herself. She was slightly conserved, but he could tell that he was getting her to open up._

 _Along with all of this, Celeste was also exceedingly beautiful._

 _Her long, wavy, dark hair fell like a waterfall down her back and was soft to the touch. Her light brown skin was slightly brittle just as his own, but still smooth and nice to look at. Her lips were a natural rosy red and her cheeks has a light, pink blush to them. She was quite small and very thin, but he didn't mind that at all._

 _What got him most were her eyes, which were usually hidden under her dark violet glasses. They were round, but slender and a sapphire blue. They were sharp, but also warm and inviting. Sometimes, it was if she was taking apart every detail from everything she saw, deciphering it. Out of every one of her features, those were what stood out to him the most._

 _He liked her, he really did. Maybe it was because she was the only one who understood him completely. Maybe it was because he was a normal guy and she was a pretty girl and he was just the same as any other guy with eyes. Or maybe it was something else, he didn't know. All he knew was that there were plenty of times he had wanted to kiss her._

 _There were plenty of times he wanted to do more- okay, he was getting a little carried away there._

 _Rex liked this partnership of theirs. It was nice talking to someone who understood him while also getting help to survive. They made a good team, stealing things left and right._

 _As horrible as that sounded, the two of them did have morals. They only stole from chain stores and wealthy-looking people. They only took money or food, nothing that looked like it was important. And they never stole from children or the elderly. They weren't monsters._

 _Currently, Rex and Celeste were sharing a room in a cheap motel, having gathered enough money to spend a few nights there. She was reading a book - **Frankenstein** by Mary Shelley - and he was just watching her._

 _Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Any reason you're staring at me?" she drawled, not taking her eyes off her book._

 _Rex's cheeks burned at being caught, but he would never let that show. "I just never pegged you as one for the classics," he admitted. Especially not a book as boring as **Frankenstein** , he wanted to add. She seemed like the type of person who'd like a good mystery book or something like that._

 _She glanced at the cover of her book before smiling at him. "I had to read it for tenth grade," she told him. "I absolutely hated it back then. Saw it the other day when we were stealing from that Walmart a few days ago. Wanted to see if it was any less boring now that I'm older."_

 _"And is it?"_

 _Celeste rolled her eyes. "Nope," she answered, popping the 'p.' She marked her page before closing it. "But I don't think it's supposed to be. It's written beautifully, but the beginning is really, really slow."_

 _Rex nodded in understanding. He himself had convinced his foster parents to sign him out of school as soon as he turned sixteen and then ran away not too long after. "Can I ask you something?"_

 _"You just did, but go ahead."_

 _He inhaled deeply before turning to face her, looking right into her blue eyes. He approached her, stopping until he was directly in front of her bed. She seemed taken back by this, putting her book down beside her and sitting up. They gazed at each other for a while before he finally spoke._

 _"Will you go out with me?"_

* * *

Diana was getting tired of this game.

She sighed, massaging her temples as she soaked in the warm, bubbly water. Even her usually calming bath couldn't settle her down this time. Bruce Wayne had to be the most infuriatingly arrogant man she had ever met. He was hostile, cold, and seemed to lack any emotion and warmth at all. And the emotion he ever did show - around her, at least - was covered up as soon as it was there.

She just didn't understand him. One minute, he could be charming and joking with her. The next, he could be curt and emotionless with her. She didn't get it; did he have feelings for her or not?

Diana inhaled deeply, trying to gather her thoughts. Bruce Wayne was, to the world, a horny, womanizing playboy who happened to be one of the richest men in the country and was generous towards the less fortunate and loved to joke around; a pretty easygoing guy. Batman was, to the world, the harshest discipline of crime there was without crossing the line; always serious and terrifying.

Diana saw both sides of the man, and then some.

With her, Bruce was the same as both his identities, but also very different. He was brutally sarcastic - Batman - and also very charming - Bruce Wayne. Yet, there were parts of both personalities that would just melt away, though a large part of Batman always seemed to stay with him at all times.

She sighed once more, submerging her body deeper into the water. That dance between them in Paris... She was sure there had been a spark somewhere. Or maybe there hadn't been. Maybe she had just imagined the whole thing. Maybe these romantic feelings were completely one-sided.

Was she being naive? Was her mother right when she had said that she wasn't ready for what Man's World had to offer? Diana ran her fingers through her wet hair. As much as she hated that notion, it might be the truth.

Well, let it be known that Diana of Themyscira was not to be played with. She wouldn't pursue anything with him anymore, if she even had before. She'd keep their friendship afloat because that was important to her, but she wouldn't act on these romantic urges.

The Princess of the Amazons was better off on her own, anyway.

* * *

 _Rex couldn't even believed that Celeste had agreed to their so-called "date."_

 _Some couldn't even call it that seeing as though he just brought her to the carnival that was in town for a few days after hours. He couldn't afford anything real fancy, much to his own shame, but she loved it, which surprised him beyond belief. Her eyes had lit up like he had never seen before and she squealed in absolute joy._

 _"The carnival!" she exclaimed like an excited child. "Oh, I've never been to one before!" She gripped his arm and looked up at him, eyes shining with adoration. "Thank you so much for bringing me here!"_

 _Rex felt his cheeks he up as he grinned down at her. It was nice seeing her so carefree, so happy. He found that he wanted to make her this happy, all the time. "No problem, Princess," he said, then mentally cursed himself. Where had **that** come from? What kind of nickname was that anyway? What about Celeste could be associated with a princess (besides how pretty she was, of course)?_

 _Celeste titled her head in confusion. "Princess?" she repeated. No one had ever called her that before. "Any reason for that?"_

 _He shrugged. "Nah, just a nickname I came up with on the spot," he admitted. He peered at her curiously for her approval (not that he would ever tell her that). "You like it?"_

 _She seemed to think this over. "Yeah," she finally answered, smiling softly. "I think I do."_

 _Rex grinned at her. "Then I guess that's what I'm calling you for now." His Princess. He liked how that sounded. He thought he spotted her own cute, pink blush, but it was gone as soon as he blinked. Maybe he was imagining it..._ _He smirked as he caught her looking away from him shyly. Maybe not. "So, Princess, what do you want to go on first?"_

 _Celeste glanced at him before gesturing to their right. "The bumper cars look fun," she decided. He nodded and gently took her arm, leading her towards the direction of the bumper cars._

 _He had never seen Celeste so carefree as she rammed her car into his. She was laughing wildly, and her dark hair which was usually up in a high ponytail was sprawled all over her head and dancing in the wind. It was honestly a touching sight to behold. She was usually so careful around him and he was glad she was opening up to him._

 _Rex knew what it was like to be a foster kid, seeing as he had been one himself. He knew it could be pretty rough depending on the situation. Celeste's case was probably one of the bad cases. She probably had never gotten to have fun like this before._

 _Well, she would always have fun with him. This, he promised._

* * *

Diana groaned, raising her hand to her head. Hera, she felt like she had been punched through a wall by Artemis. Multiple times. Her redheaded friend/ex-lover had a heavy hand, that was for sure. As her eyes adjusted, she could barely make out the Watchtower infirmary. She squinted, trying to remember how she had gotten there.

Memories suddenly came flooding back. Right, the Gorians. An alien race with the goal of taking over their planet, as per usual. She, John, and Dinah had been sent to deal with them, but had required back-up since they were vastly outnumbered. Kal, Bruce, and Oliver had been sent down to help.

Then what had happened?

That was when her memory went a bit foggy. She couldn't recall anything past that.

"Princess."

The voice was gruff and deep and she recognized it immediately. "Batman," she responded, sitting up. Her teammate was sitting by her bedside, staring at her intently. "What happened?"

"They hit you while your back was turned," Bruce told her, his eyes - his _unmasked_ eyes, she realized. He hardly ever took of his cowl on the Watchtower - never leaving hers. "You've been out for about twenty-six hours."

Diana nodded, taking in this information. "Did I miss anything important?" she asked. Though she didn't say it, she was already itching to get out of that damn infirmary bed. On Themyscira, as soon as you were conscious, you'd be up and fighting again. Unfortunately, per the rules of the man sitting next to her bed, a member of the Justice League couldn't return to duty unless they were fully recovered.

As far as she was concerned, she was always fully recovered. It only took a day or so for most injuries to go away anyway, so what was the big deal?

He crossed his arms, glaring at her. "You should be focused on getting better," he told her adamantly. "You were out for over a day, Princess. Let us take care of business for now."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine," she insisted.

"No, you're not."

Annoyance twinged in her chest, but Diana let nothing show on her face. It was just Bruce being Bruce, after all. Nothing she couldn't handle. "I was born and raised to take the worst thrashing and still get up for training the next morning. I've been training with the best warriors on the island since I learned how to talk. I am _literally_ built for this, Bruce."

Bruce stared at her, demeanor unchanging. "Doesn't mean it was right," he pointed out.

She clenched her fist. He was just so _arrogant_! "How dare you," she seethed, finally sitting up. Hera, one day she wouldn't be able to stop herself from knocking him out.

And, suddenly, his lips were pressed to hers, his hands gently cupping her face.

OoOoOo

 **Fml, I can't write for shit. I love WonderBat, but I suck at writing both of them. Hopefully, I'll get better with time, but for now... I hope you could tolerate my shitty work. Please review.**


	10. Chapter 8

**I have two essays due this week and let's just say that I'm glad I'm a writer. There are just certain things I can do in a day and writing an essay is one of them. Now, I'm sure you're not here to hear about my life, so on with the fic!**

OoOoOo

As soon as she realized what she was doing, Celeste immediately jumped back. "I'm sorry!" she blurted, her cheeks suddenly warm and itchy. She glanced away to avoid his green orbs which were now looking at her with emotions that she didn't even want to begin to decipher. Her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "I shouldn't have done that."

 _Idiot, idiot, **idiot**!_ she scolded herself. How could she have allowed this to happen? She had promised herself that she wouldn't catch feelings, that she wouldn't let him work his way into her heart again. That she wouldn't fall for his charms a second time.

But damn him, he had started speaking. Rex didn't look it, but he had a way with words. All that talk about marriage and settling down struck her right in the heart.

She felt him cup her chin and lift her head up, but she squeezed her eyes shut. If she looked at him now, there was no telling how her will would break. She didn't dare open them, didn't dare open her heart to him again.

Let it be known that only one male owned her heart and that was Ryan Shade.

"Princess," spoke Rex lowly. "Look at me."

Celeste refused, but her breath hitched when she felt his lips graze her forehead. Then her nose. Then both her cheeks. "S-Stop," she stuttered, still not looking at him. "Rex, if you don't let go-"

He released her face, but not before placing another kiss on the crown of her head. "I love you," he murmured into her hair.

She could still remember the first time he spoke those words to her.

* * *

 _Seventeen year old Celeste grinned as she strode up to her official boyfriend of five months, two ice-cream cones in her hands. "Hey, look what I-" She stopped short, seeing the grim expression her wore. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked softly. He had been just fine when she left to get the cones, but now he looked as if someone had just sucker punched him._

 _Rex sighed and revealed a wanted poster; with his face plastered on it. "Of all the things I could have gone down for," he said. "Watches is what they get me for."_

 _She took the paper from him. "You stole those watches, like, three years ago," she noticed. "Why are they only busting you now?"_

 _He groaned in annoyance. "Must have finally gotten a face from the image," he figured._

 _Celeste pursed her lips in thought. "So, what can we do?" she asked quietly._

 _Rex sighed again, taking her hand and running his thumb over it. "I was thinking Canada," he admitted to her, looking at her helplessly with those green eyes of his. "I know that wasn't what we planned. You don't have to go with me if you don't-"_

 _She put a finger to his mouth, silencing him. "Stop," she commanded gently. "I know that we agreed on Tallahassee, but I've always wanted to see Canada. I'm not leaving you alone, okay?" She grinned at him. "Besides, I like maple syrup."_

 _He stared at her for a moment before bringing his arms around her small waist, embracing her tightly. She hugged him back, resting her hands on his chest and relishing in the embrace. Something she had discovered- or rather, rediscovered- was that she really, really liked physical contact. It served as a reassurance that she wasn't alone in the world, that there was someone with her._

 _"I love you," he breathed into her ear. She tensed, but he didn't stop there. "You don't have to say it back, I know it's hard for you, but I just want you to know, okay? I'm not with you because we make a good team- we do, but that's not the point- or because you're a pretty girl- you're fucking gorgeous, by the way- but-"_

 _Celeste cut off his rambling by softly pressing her lips to his. "Rex, calm down," she coaxed, silencing him once more. She looked up at him, unable to hide the smile that was fighting its way onto her face._

 _"I love you too."_

* * *

Celeste finally opened her eyes, her sapphire pools meeting his emerald orbs. "Don't say that," she snapped. She was vaguely aware of the tears running down her face, but she didn't care enough to wipe them. "You- You have no right to say that to me." She clenched her fists, he hands visibly shaking with sadness and rage. "You framed me, left me in jail for eleven months while I was _pregnant_."

Rex sighed. "You know I didn't know you were pregnant," he said softly.

He looked so upset that she had to consider what he was feeling for a minute. He _didn't_ know she was pregnant. He didn't know that he had missed out on eight years of her- their- son's life. Maybe if he had known, if _she_ had known, things could have been different. Maybe he would have come back for them.

But she scoffed, shaking her head. "That is not the point," she snapped. "If you loved me, _really_ loved me, you wouldn't have framed me." She faltered, her sadness overtaking her rage. "You wouldn't have left me."

Rex looked taken back by that, as if finally realizing why she had been so cold with him. "I... I'm no better than everyone else, am I?" he realized.

Celeste gave him a ragged sigh, wiping her tears. "Well, you did come back," she reasoned. "Eight years too late, but you did. That's more than I can say for most people, I guess."

He looked particularly pained at that. "I never wanted to be like everyone else," he told her honestly. "I, God, I wanted to be the person who changed things for you. I wanted to be the one to give you everything you always wanted. I-"

She held up a hand and, just like all those years ago, silenced him. "Stop," she commanded, not so gently this time. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it." She didn't want to sit here and listen to what could have been. She looked around, suddenly aware of something. "Rex?"

Rex looked distracted, but answered anyway. "Yeah?"

Celeste inhaled deeply. "Where's Ryan?" she asked slowly and calmly. However, inside she was panicking. Some fucking mother she was, she had been so caught up in her own emotions that she hadn't even thought about the whereabouts of her only child! There had to be something seriously wrong with her.

It was times like these that she really thought that her son would have been better off in the system. She obviously wasn't mother material.

His expression didn't change. "He's with Diana," he told her. "She also wants to talk to you about something."

That didn't sound too good. "Did she say what it was about?"

Rex shook his head. "No, but it sounded important." He looked away from her. "You should head over there."

Celeste nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. "I guess I should." She turned her back to leave.

"Princess?" called Rex, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm sorry."

She faced him, giving him a sad smile in return. "You said that already," she reminded him. And with that, she left.

* * *

 _Rex glanced around, trying not to look suspicious. God, he couldn't fuck things up now. Not when they were so close to starting over, to settling down. No more of this "Bonnie and Clyde" act they had been pulling for the last few months. It would be just them. A silly grin suddenly graced his face; just them and maybe a kid or two running around._

 _He had been thinking about this for a while and he knew it was what he wanted. He loved Celeste Shade more than he had ever loved anybody before, no one in the world ever caring about him as much as she did._

 _It was only natural to want to marry her, right?_

 _True, he didn't have enough money to buy an engagement ring, but he'd get a job once they were settled in Canada. He'd save every cent he could until he had enough to buy her a ring, a really nice one, too. Maybe a sapphire one to match her eyes. Yes, that would do._

 _"You can't do this."_

 _Rex looked up to see a man standing in front of him. He must have been at least ten years older than himself and had neatly kept dark hair and startlingly blue eyes. "Sorry, do I know you?" he asked carefully, praying to God that he wasn't a cop._

 _"My name is Tim," answered the man. "Tim Drake."_

 _"Should that mean something to me?"_

 _Tim didn't seem offended by this. "I know this is going to sound insane, but you have to let the cops take Celeste," he replied._

 _Rex was taken back by that. "Excuse me?" he snapped, suddenly getting angry. "Who the fuck are you?"_

 _"I'm her... brother," Tim told him. "And her guardian angel- sort of. It's my job to keep her safe."_

 _He scoffed. "Some job you've been doing. She's been in the system her entire life, no one's ever come to claim her. You know who's been keeping her safe? Me."_

 _The man rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure leading her to a life of crime is keeping her safe, Rex Stewart," he commented dryly._

 _Rex froze. "How did you-?"_

 _"I've known you since you were a baby," interrupted Tim. "I know a lot about you, including how you've roped my sister into becoming a thief." He shook his head. "You're parents would be disappointed, don't you think?"_

 _"Who the fuck-?"_

 _Tim rolled his eyes again. "Shayera Hol and John Stewart, or Hawkgirl and Green Lantern as you might know them." Seeing Rex's disbelief, he sighed and took something out of his bag. "Trust me, what I have in here will convince you of everything."_

* * *

Celeste knocked on the door to Diana's small loft. The woman opened the door and she tried to put on a confident smile. "Hey, Diana," she greeted, somewhat nervously. She knew that almost everyone in town had seen the paper and she was almost ashamed. She didn't want her friend to think any less of her because of one mistake.

To her surprise, Diana smiled warmly at her. "Celeste, come in," she urged, tugging the younger woman inside the loft.

"Mom!" exclaimed Ryan, rounding the corner and throwing himself into her arms.

She hugged her son close to her. "Hey, kiddo," she whispered, happy to have her son with her. It had been an extremely long day.

Ryan beamed up at her, both his green and blue eye twinkling. "Guess what, guess what?" he asked, nearly shouting.

Celeste chuckled at him. "What?"

"Miss Prince said we could live with her!" Ryan told her excitedly, his expression etched in absolute joy. She froze at those words, eyed traveling to Diana for confirmation. Surely, her son had to be making that up? Why would someone who had only known her for a few months want her- and her _son_ \- to live with her?

Diana's warm smile never faltered. "I did," she confirmed.

"Diana-"

The older woman held up a hand. "Celeste, there's always been something about you that I've trusted," she said, voice dripping with such honesty that it was hard to doubt her words. "Rex said that you getting kicked out of Alfred's inn would cause you and Ryan to have to leave town." She chuckled. "Call me selfish, but I don't think I can let that happen."

For the second time that day, Celeste's eyes filled with tears. No one had ever cared this much about her. No one had ever showed her such kindness. "Diana, you don't have to-"

"But I want to," Diana interrupted firmly. "I have two extra rooms for you both and everything." She looked at her hopefully. "So?"

Ryan tugged on her shirt. "Mom, say yes!" he pleaded.

Well, between Diana's hopeful face and Ryan's pleading one, how could Celeste say no?

OoOoOo

 **Fml, I wanted that chapter to be much longer, but it's late and I'm exhausted. School is literally sucking the life from me. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!**


End file.
